OPEN: Henry Ward Beecher was a very famous preacher in his day. When he was a boy, it is said that the teacher in the school he attended asked a classmate a question The boy answered, but his teacher became visibly upset with his answer and cried testily: "Sit down!"
This frightened the boy… and he just sat down.
Several boys were asked the same question - gave the same answer- and promptly became confused when the teacher voiced his unexplained disapproval.
Finally Beecher was called upon and gave the same answer as the other boys. "Sit Down!" roared the teacher.
But Beecher didn’t sit down. He held his ground and he insisted that the answer was correct. For a few moments the teacher stormed at him, but after a few moments, he smiled and said: "Boys, you were all correct, but Beecher was the only one sure enough to stand up for it.”
APPLY: Standing up for what we believe… it’s not always an easy thing to do.
Sometimes there’s a price to be paid.
Sometimes you face rejection or humiliation
OR sometimes you can even lose something… or someone you love and hold dear.
AS A RESULT: many good men and women would rather not stand up to begin with. It’s so much easier to just duck your head and let the storm pass. It’s safer and it’s a lot easier. It’s more comfortable.
That’s what Abraham did. Abraham was faced with an opportunity to stand up for what he knew was right. But he realized that, if he did, life was going to get really uncomfortable at home.
I’ve been told… and I believe it’s true… that it’s very hard for a man to get his way in marriage. How many of believe that to be true?
ILLUS: One woman related that at a family gathering, some of the husbands began teasing their wives about how the women always seemed to get their way in their marriages.
Responding to the teasing, one woman said: "Honey, when I get my way, that’s a compromise."
Smiling he asked: "What is it when I get my way?"
She smiled back and replied, "That’s called a miracle!"
I. Now, just the day before, Abraham had heard God promise him - he would have a son… from his own body.
And he knew what God has in mind. But once he got home, and tried to explain this to Sarah, he found that she was not as excited as he was. She’s been waiting for a baby WAY to long… and she’s not going to wait any more. She wants a baby… and she wants it now.
(pause…)
ILLUS: have you ever heard phrase: “If momma ain’t happy… ain’t nobody happy.” Well… that’s the way things were beginning to look like they were going to be in Abraham’s home.
Sarah was not happy… and she read Abraham the riot act.
YOU WILL go into my handmaid’s tent and YOU WILL conceive a child thru her.
Her comment reveals that she has decided to “take charge” of this situation: “Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I (not “we”, not “God and you and I”… but “I”) can build a family through her.” Genesis 16:2
II. Now, Abraham’s problem was that he believed that if he just kept his mouth shut
· this whole thing would just blow over.
· his wife would be happy
· Sure, they’d have another child in addition to the son God had promised, but he was a rich man… he could afford it.
Everything would work out. All he had to do was keep his head low, and his mouth shut.
· Basically, Abraham had grown a wishbone where his backbone should have been.
I believe that’s one of the reasons God put this story in our Bible. I believe God wanted us to see what would happen if someone decided that,
- even tho’ they knew what they should have done,
- even tho’ they knew there was something they should stand up for…
They concluded that it wasn’t worth all the hassle.
For all the trouble Abraham went to, to avoid conflict his weakness (as a husband) led to nothing but MORE conflict.
Ø Giving into to Sarah’s demands didn’t make her happier
Ø In fact, it led to her being even MORE unhappy
Ø It created to conflict and turmoil in his household
Ø Ultimately, it led to Hagar & Ishmael being kicked out of the house.
III. Why would that be? Why would Abraham’s weakness lead to conflict?
Because – there’s a reason God tells us what He tells us.
In Jeremiah 29:11 God declares “…I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God has a direction He wants us to go in our lives. And, if we go the direction He wants us to go, then we can the best that God can give us. BUT… if we don’t go that direction – we can’t receive what He wants to give us.
Does that make sense to you?
If what God wants to give you is over HERE… and you go over THERE… how can you receive the blessings God would give you?
So, when God tells us that there is something we need to do, or tells us there is a stand that we need to take… you can be assured that obeying Him will lead to the best result.
This is so important to God that 2 Chronicles 16:9 we’re told “…the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him….”
God ACTIVELY seeks for people who are willing to go/ to the wall for Him.
When Jesus gave His sermon on the Mount He told His listeners that God expected His people to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
In other words…God wants us to make a difference in this world.
He wants us to shed light on a dark world… He wants us to make the world taste good.
However in order to make that difference, we need to be committed to standing up and saying & doing what is right.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 5:13
God calls us to be the salt of the earth but if we’re not willing to let our SALTINESS be known we’re failing to accomplish the goal God has set for us.
LET’S REVUE – God has a plan for your life/
God has a direction He wants you to go in your life
AND, if we go the direction He wants us to go… then we can have hope. Then God can reward us.
BUT if we don’t go the way He want us to go… WE WILL NOT REC’ GOD’S BEST.
IV. Now… that raises another question:
What happens if I mess up – will God stop loving me?
Or will I destroy God’s plan for my life???
I’ve known of people who have hesitated to become Christians because they were afraid that they would mess up and God will never forgive them.
Well… let’s take a look at what God did with Abraham.
· Remember, God had specifically told Abraham that he would have a child.
· But Abraham refused to stand with God on this matter and that was wrong. And because it was wrong, there were unfortunate consequences that made his life extremely uncomfortable.
BUT REMEMBER… this story is in Scripture for a reason.
Take a look at how God responded to Abraham’s failure:
(Sarah) said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."
The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.
But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.
I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." Genesis 21:10-13
1st – God did not reject Abraham.
God had given His word and God would be true to His word. Isaac would be the son of promise.
2nd – God’s love for Abraham was so strong that even Abraham’s failures would be made right.
God said: “I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is YOUR offspring."
Ishmael wasn’t part of the plan…
Ishmael wasn’t part of the promise
Ishmael was the son of Compromise and had NO RIGHT to receive the blessings of God
Abraham had messed up… but God didn’t give up
God loved Abraham and God sought to help him make the best of his life.
ILLUS: Years ago (when I lived at home) my dad and I got into an argument… Dad was so frustrated with me that he got real quiet for minute or two and then he said:
“You know Jeff – if you weren’t my son, I’d have nothing to do with you.”
What dad was saying was this:
I love you.
You’re my son
And I’m not going to give up on you.
BUT YOU DO TRY MY PATIENCE ONCE IN A WHILE
Now…I made many mistakes as the son of Lowell Strite…
but my dad never stopped loving me
My dad never stopped giving me the best that he had
My dad never working in my life to make me the best I could be…
And you see that’s the way God is with us.
When we become His children
He seeks every opportunity to show us He loves us.
He seeks every opportunity to make our lives better
AND He seeks every opportunity to take the mistakes of our lives
Even when we fail Him by our lack of faith… God never fails us in His faithfulness
CLOSE: Years ago in England, Queen Victoria paid a visit to a London paper mill.
During her visit, they came upon one room where men were picking through garbage bins and...
… removing old rags.
The queen was intrigued by this, and asked why on earth they would do such a thing.
She was told that these rags were used to make the finest white paper the factory produced.
Several days later, Her Majesty received a package of the most delicate white stationery having the Queen’s likeness for a watermark, along with a letter that explained that the stationary had been made from the very pile of dirty rags that she had noticed during her visit.
