I Want To Begin this A.M. by Challenging Your Thinking With A Rhetorical Question:
Has Anyone Ever Been Born Who God Didn’t Want to Be Born? {We Know His Will is Seldom Done}After all, it is not His will that any should perish...but most do!
Was It God’s Will For Bathsheba to Conceive a Son by King David With her Husband Uriah Gone Away?
Wouldn’t It Have Been Better For People In Hell NOT TO HAVE BEEN BORN?
In My Text this A.M. We Read of Another Who Maybe Shouldn’t Have Been Born-Ishmael
READ TEXT: Certainly God Did NOT Want Abram & Sarai to Lose Faith & Have Child By Hagar
Sure He Could Have Stopped Them—But He Didn’t [He Could Stop Us From Sinning But He Doesn’t]
Ishmael’s Story is In Bible For Us to Learn From—This A.M. I Want to Note What God Wants Us to Learn From Ishmael’s Story
1. From Ishmael’s Story We Learn About the PARTIARCH ABRAHAM
A. Great Man— Perhaps Best Known in World Today—God’s Chosen—Named 230 Times in 27 Different Books of the Bible
1. But He Was Still a Sinner Man—Trapped in Flesh—Disappointed God & Self [Sinned Against God-Sarah-Hagarand Himself]
B. Yet God Didn’t Throw Him Away—GRACE GREATER THAN SIN [He Won’t throw you away either]
2. From Ishmael’s Story We Learn About POLYGAMY
A. God’s Plan Never Included Multiple Wives [Man’s Invention]Don’t Hear of Many Multiple Husband Families
1. Brought Problems Between Abram & Sarai//Sarai & Hagar//Abram & Hagar//Ishmael & Isaac
B. Abraham thought Fixing Problem---Caused Greater One [{Blended Family Didn’t Blend}
1. Ishmael is the Father of the Arabs…Arabs & Jews Still Don’t Blend Today!!
C. It Takes 2 to Make a Marriage and a Child, So Be Very Careful Who You Choose
D. IS SOMETHING WORSE THAN NOT BEING MARRIED----BAD MARRIAGE
3. From Ishmael’s Story We Learn About PREDESTINATION
A. God’s Plan From Genesis to Revelation is for Everyone to be Saved {All Are Predestined for Heaven}
[Not His will that any should perish]
1. Ishmael is No Different---But God Looks into Future and Sees a Wild Man--- Untamable..Even by God!
2. Not God’s Will…IS Ishmael’s Will [So Today Lost People CHOOSE to be Lost]
B. In Matt.23:37 Jesus Cries Out, “O Jer-Jer. How often would I have gathered thy…but you would not"
God would have gathered Ishmael but he would not
4. From Ishmael’s Story We Learn About PARENTING
A. Maybe Abraham & Sarah Were Not Ready to be Parents Yet [Maybe they Helped Create a Wild Man?]
1. Is Easy to Become a Father/Mother/StepMother [Hard to Do the Mothering & Fathering]
5. From Ishmael’s Story We Learn About PROVISION
A. Jas. 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” {Is a Blessing from God]
B. In Matt.5:45 Jesus said that [God]”Sendeth rain on the just and the unjust”[Ishmael is an Example]
1. God Promised Abraham & Hagar He Would Bless Ishmael and HE Did [God Still Blesses the Lost]
C. If you are Not a Christian You Need to Know that God Has Provided Everything You have Ever Had
6. From Ishmael’s Story We Learn About PRESTIGE
A. He Became Father of 12 Princes With Cities & Castles [All Lived Lifestyles of Rich & Famous]
1. He Became Famous-Powerful-A SOMEBODY in World—But a NOBODY With GOD
2. HE Received WHAT GOD GAVE HIM Without a Thank You 3. He TOOK the CREDIT FOR His Success [Own Prestige]
7. Finally, From Ishmael’s Story We Learn About POSTERITY
A. Ishmael Lived 137 Years On Earth…Most Very Good Years [Had It All} I’m sure envied by many
B. But Jesus Asked in Mk.8:36, “What Shall It Profit a Man if He Gain the Whole world and lose his own soul?"
1. Answer: It Profits Him Nothing.. Been Better If He Had Never Been Born ! ASK ISHMAEL
Invitation: 1,000 yrs. From Now Will You Be Glad You Were Born ? Only If You WereBorn Again !!
