(1) We have people who are up to their eyeballs in debt because they are constantly buying things they can’t afford.
Illus: A businessman is in a great deal of trouble financially because he kept buying things when he should not have. He even considered suicide, but he decided before he would do this he would go see the priest.
The priest said "Here's what I want you to do: Put a beach chair and your Bible in your car and drive down to the beach. Take the chair and the Bible to the water's edge, sit down in the beach chair, and put the Bible in your lap. Open the Bible. The wind will riffle the pages, but finally the open Bible will come to rest on a page. Look down at the page and read the first thing you see. That will be your answer. That will tell you what to do."
A year later, the businessman goes back to the priest and brings his wife and children with him. The man is in a new custom-tailored suit, his wife in a mink coat. The businessman pulls an envelope stuffed with money out of his pocket, and gives it to the priest as a donation as thanks for his advice.
The priest recognizes the man, and of course he is curious. "You did as I suggested?" he asks.
"Absolutely," the businessman replies.
• "You went to the beach?"
• "Absolutely."
• "You sat in a beach chair with the Bible in your lap?"
• "Absolutely."
• "You let the pages riffle until they stopped?"
• "Absolutely."
• "And what were the first words you saw?"
• "Chapter 11."
We have people today filing for bankruptcy (chapter 11) in record numbers because they do not know when to stop buying.
(2) We have people today who love the things of this world so much that they are willing to do almost anything to acquire them.
Illus: These people remind me of fellow who goes over to his friend’s house. The friend’s very attractive girlfriend answered the doorbell. He said, "Hi, is Tony home?" She said, "No he went to the store." He said, "Well, do you mind if I wait?" She said, "No come in." They sit down and this ugly fellow says, "You know Nora, I have a confession to make. I know I am the ugliest fellow in town and you are the most attractive woman in town. I have never told anyone this, but I have always wanted to kiss the prettiest woman in town.”
He immediately sees the frown on her face, and he says “I am prepared to give you two hundred dollars if you will let me kiss you.”
Nora thinks about this for a second and she begins to think that two hundreds dollars will buy her that pretty coat she so desperately wants.
Finally, she agrees to let him kiss her. She closes her eyes and with a frown on her face she puckers up and he plants one on her.
When the kiss is completed, she holds her hand out for the two hundred dollars.
He gives her the two hundred and he says he can’t wait any longer for Tony, and he goes home.
A while later Tony arrives home and Nora says, "Your ugly friend Chris came over here today to see you!"
Tony thinks about this for a second and says "Well, did he drop off the 200 bucks he owes me?"
We live in a materialistic society, and people will do almost anything to get what this world has to offer.
One reason that men in the Old Testament, like Abraham, are different from believers today is because they saw life from a different perspective.
For example, Abraham saw himself as a PILGRIM PASSING THROUGH THIS LIFE!
He lived in the heathen land of Ur, and when God saved him and commanded him to LEAVE EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW HIM, God promised him three things:
• He would give him a new nation
• He would give him a new name
• He would bless those who blessed Him and curse those who cursed him
As Abraham set out to find the land of Canaan, he discovered there are some difficult things we have to face.
Some Neo-Evangelicals teach a “Pie-in-the-sky” kind of salvation. They tell a lost person that if they will accept the Lord:
• They will not have any more problems
• They will live happily ever after
Listen, you can tell a lost person that but it is not the truth. We have to be truthful in our witnessing.
When you tell someone that they can expect some hard times, it may SOUND STRANGE, but it is the truth!
Illus: A lawyer named Strange died, and his friend asked the tombstone maker to inscribe on his tombstone, "Here lies Strange, an honest man, and a lawyer."
• The inscriber thought for a minute and then insisted that such an inscription would be confusing for passersby's, who would tend to think that three men were buried under the stone. That is, Strange, an honest man, and a Lawyer.
• However he suggested an alternative. He would inscribe, "Here lies a man who was both honest and a lawyer." And as people read this they will say--- “That's Strange!"
Now it may seem STRANGE to emphasize the NEGATIVE, because all successful salesmen know you only talk of the POSITIVE, and never mention the negative.
Abraham forsook all his idols, country, family and friends to find the promise land. But as he did, let’s look at some of the things he faced.
I. HIS FAMINE
Look at Gen. 12:10, we read, “And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.”
It was not just a famine. The Bible says it was, “Grievous in the land.” In other words, it was a bad famine! Notice this:
• When Abraham came to this place where God had led him, he saw there was a severe famine, so he packed up and took off for Egypt.
• God did not tell him to go to Egypt, God told him to go to Canaan.
Abraham was not letting God’s will for his life direct him; HE WAS LETTING CIRCUMSTANCES determine his actions.
For Abraham, it looked like one of those times in his life when God had made a big mistake! But God never makes mistakes! He has never made a mistake! NEVER!
Illus: A man said, “My wife made a big mistake in the kitchen the other day and we had to eat it!”
People make mistakes all the time, but not God.
When Abraham arrived, and found that the place God brought him to was in the midst was experiencing a severe famine, he decided God had made a mistake and if he stayed there he would be the one who was going to pay for the mistake.
God does not make mistakes, but Abraham certainly made one BIG MISTAKE when he left where God led him and went into Egypt.
We see HIS FAMINE and -
II. HIS FOLLY
When we get out of the will of God, we have taken matters into our own hands. Once we do this, we had better WATCH OUT!
When Abraham was confronted with HIS FAMINE, he did not say, “God, you sent me here and I know you will provide for me even if you have to perform a miracle!”
Abraham was convinced that his going to Egypt would solve all his problems, but it just created some bigger problems for him.
There are people today who are running from one church to the next, trying to run from their problems. Do you reckon they actually think you can find a church with no problems?
Sometimes children will have problems and they will try to avoid from them by running away from home.
Illus: A child carrying a suitcase repeatedly passed the same street corner. This activity aroused the interest of a friendly policeman, who asked, "Where are you going, Sonny?" The youngster replied, "I'm running away from home.” The policemen said, “Why do you just keep walking around this same block!” He said, “Because I am not allowed to cross the street."
But listen, children are not the only ones who try to run from their problems! We adults do this all the time. It is in these times we need to put our faith in the Lord.
Illus: A couple of nuns who were nursing sisters had gone out to the country to minister to an outpatient. On the way back, they were a few miles from home when they ran out of gas. They were standing beside their car on the shoulder of the road, when a truck approached.
Seeing ladies of the cloth in distress, the driver stopped to offer his help. The nuns explained they needed some gas. The driver of the truck said he would gladly drain some from his tank, but he didn’t have a bucket or can.
One of the nuns dug out a clean bedpan and asked the driver if he could use it. He said, “Yes,” and proceeded to drain a couple of quarts of gas into the pan. He waved goodbye to the nuns and left.
The nuns were carefully pouring the precious fluid into their gas tank when the highway patrol came by.
The trooper stopped and watched for a minute, then he said: "Sisters, I don't think it will work, but I sure do admire your faith!"
Abraham, at this stage in his life, did not have any faith to admire. The only faith he had at this time was in himself!
He ran from a problem, only to run into a BIGGER PROBLEM!
LOOK AT THE NEW PROBLEM!
Look at Gen. 12:11-13, we read, “And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.”
Sarah must have been a beautiful woman because the Bible said when the Egyptians saw her, THEY GOT AN EYE FULL OF BEAUTY!
Look at Gen. 12:14-16, we read, “And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.”
Listen, when Pharaoh saw her he wanted to play “Let’s Make A Deal!” Notice, he wanted to swap her for:
• Sheep
• Oxen
• Asses
• Menservants
• Maidservants
• She asses
• And camels
Listen, I know a lot of men would have taken him up on that deal. Some men could not make such a trade.
Illus: One man said, “My wife seems to be losing her sense of humor for no apparent reason. Why just the other day, she got mad when she announced that she was going to the beauty parlor and I asked, ‘Are you just going in for an estimate or are you going to get the work done?’"
Sarah was a beautiful woman. Rather than trust the Lord to protect him, he took matters in his own hands and lied.
BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENED.
The Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Look at Gen. 12:17-20, “And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.”
When Abraham took matters into his own hands, look how things even got worse for him.
(1) HE WAS GIVEN THE WEALTH OF EGYPT
Abram was made very rich. In Egypt, Abram was given sheep, oxen, he-asses, menservants, maidservants, she-asses, and camels.
When Pharaoh discovered he had been lied to, he told them to hit the road and take with him, “…all that he had.” He was a wealthy man before he went there and now when he left he was really wealthy.
This led into other problems.
(2) IT LED TO FAMILY PROBLEMS
With the newly acquired riches, there was no longer room enough for his sheep and Lot’s sheep to dwell together. Abraham told Lot to choose where he wanted to pitch his tent and take care of his flock, and he would take the opposite side.
When Lot chose Sodom and Gomorrah he chose it on based on looks. Look at Gen. 13:10, we read, “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.”
Did you get that?
Lot chose Sodom and Gomorrah because to him it looked, “…like the land of Egypt.”
If Abraham had never gone to Egypt, Lot would have never known what the land of Egypt looked like. Do you realize how many children today are out of the will of God because Mom, Dad, an Uncle or an Aunt exposed them to some evil?
But we see something else bad that came from Abraham leaving Canaan and going into Egypt.
(3) HAGAR CAME INTO THEIR LIFE
Pharaoh gave not only livestock, but he gave man servants and maid servants. One of the handmaids was Hagar.
WHO IS SHE?
She is the one who Sarah suggested Abraham have a child with since she could not bear any children. She gave birth to Ishmael. The Arabs are descendents of Ishmael. Look at all the bloodshed that came from Abraham leaving where God told him to go and from taking matters into his own hands and going to Egypt.
We see:
• HIS FAMINE,
• HIS FOLLY
and -
III. HIS FULLNESS
Once back in the land, he finds the fullness of supply that he could have had all along!
Look at Gen. 13:1-4, we read, “And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.”
Abraham had to come back to the place where God wanted him before God could bless him. He had material gain to show for the time in Egypt, but nothing but barrenness and weakness spiritually.
Conclusion:
HOW ABOUT YOU?
How many years have you wasted spiritually?
I know Christians who have lived almost their entire Christian life in Egypt, and all they have to show for it is a barren, wasted, empty, dreary, boring existence. They have material things, but…
• They do not have the joy of the Lord
• They do not have a good testimony
• They will stand before God having lived a wasted life
I. HIS FAMINE
II. HIS FOLLY
III. HIS FULLNESS
Note: You can hear many of Dr. Odell Belger sermons on you tube. Type Youtube Lykesland
