Through The Bible - English - 02 (Genesis-2) by Zac Poonen

well we want to turn today to where we stopped yesterday what we're going to do is go through the whole Bible we won't be covering every chapter that would take 500 sessions at least but in fact it's easier to take 500 sessions I would rather take 500 it's more difficult to select that which contains the most essential message so my burden has been to pick out that which is most essential the reason I spend more time in Genesis is because there's a lot there which is very fundamental to our understanding of God the way things began and how just like when you see a tree you know that all of that tree was in a small seed way back in the beginning and it's something like that in Genesis you have a seed thereof everything that comes out later we saw Cain we saw Enoch people who walked in two different ways we saw Adam we saw Noah people walked in two different ways let's turn to Genesis chapter 10 what we see here in the coming chapters that we'll be looking at today is a continuation of those two streams that began with Cain and Abel I told you with Cain and Abel there were two streams one of religiosity not of atheism but of religiosity and the other of spirituality if it were atheism and spirituality it would be very easy it would be black and white but when you try to compare the color of this wall with pure white it's a little more difficult is off-white with white that's the devil's method nobody will give you a brown paper and say it's a 500 rupee note you won't be deceived a counterfeiter makes currency as far as possible like the original and the devil also many counterfeits Christianity he makes it as far as possible like the original but going in completely different directions the gate to the Broadway does not look broad it looks very similar to the gate to the narrow way and a lot of people walking along the Broadway don't realize they're walking along the Broadway they think you're walking along the narrow way that's where we got to be careful now I'm talking about believers who are deceived let me just mention one thing before I go into Scripture how many believers do you think there are who really believe what Jesus said you cannot serve God and money do you know the number of preachers full-time workers Christian workers Christians who believe that you can serve God and money that's just an example of the tremendous work that Satan has done of deceiving people there are people who love money and who think that they love God there are probably people sitting here who love money and who think that you serve God don't you think Satan has done such a fantastic work even though Jesus said it is impossible to love God and money that's just one example if you want to be saved from deception study the Scriptures carefully and honestly that's my burden from these sessions to open up the Scriptures in such a way that Satan will not be able to deceive you I'm not saying that you will choose the way I show but at least you'll know the truth we stopped to Genesis 9 yesterday we go to Genesis chapter 10 in Genesis chapter 10 you read about the beginning of babylon babylon is finally destroyed in Revelation 18 the end of the Bible it begins at the beginning of the Bible it ends at the end of the Bible I'm not going to go into every verse it says here about a man called Nimrod Genesis 10 8 verse 9 he was a mighty hunter before the Lord or I could say against the Lord like Nimrod a mighty hunter against the Lord and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel or Babylon Babel originally meant the gate of God he was professing to he was not an atheist like Cain he was not at least he was professing to lead people to God this is how Babylon works Babylon is not a monetary system primarily it is a monetary system but it's primarily a religious system revelation 17 and an economic financial system revelation 18 the two are put together that's how Babylon is formed that's how people are deceived they think they are going for true Christianity religion but they are drawn towards it because there's also money in it there's also Fame in it don't you see Christendom like that today when you see great preachers standing up on platforms with a spotlight on them traveling in the most expensive cars living more like film stars than like Jesus Christ to the apostles what do you think we're not to judge them the Bible says don't judge and I don't want to judge but what I say is don't judge I also say don't follow them leave them alone leave their judgment to God follow Jesus that system which brings fame power money wealth is Babylon it began here it professes to show you the gate to God but it is not Jesus said I am the door he's the door to that true Jerusalem the Church of God it says here from that land he went into Assyria verse 11 and later on we read in chapter 11 how they built a tower there called the Tower of Babel Nimrod is a picture or a type of the Antichrist who is going to come up in the future you know it says he was a hunter perhaps a lot of people were being killed by wild animals those days Nimrod was a great deliverer who delivered them from these wild animals and so he became famous he became great and he became accepted and he became a leader the Antichrist is going to be somewhat like that in the day last days he's going to deliver people in some wonderful way I'm going to get the respect of a lot of people it's probably going to offer religion revelation seems to indicate that there's going to be a false prophet who is going to be very closely associated with the Antichrist religion and politics are going to be very close in the last days you can be sure whether it's in elections in India or elections in the United States religion and politics political leaders know that using the religious card they can get more votes and it doesn't matter if it claims to be the Christian religion it's not the faith of Jesus Christ jesus said My Kingdom is not of this world that is the true faith don't ever think that you could get Jesus or his apostles to be politicians or to be secular leaders like Nimrod they are servants when they tried to make Jesus a king he ran away he would not be a king in Genesis 11 we read about these people saying they wanted to build a tower verse 4 they said come let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top was reached to heaven the gate of God they wanted to reach heaven by their effort false religion always has human effort as a very major part of it it's a religion of works it doesn't have much place for faith or dependence among God in helplessness the leaders of false religion are mighty men strong men wonderful personalities like film stars they are not weak men like Paul they are not people with no reputation like Peter the leaders of false Christianity are people who seek a lot of fame acceptance the true prophets were always misunderstood what called heretics and cast out by the world that's how Jesus was that's how the Apostles were it begins here Babylon this great system this unity in Babylon it says the whole earth use the same language 11:1 not just the same language in terms of a particular speech but also the same language of human might human ability human glory human cleverness that language and that is the language spoken by the world and that is the language spoken by a lot of people in Christendom and I want to say it is false Jesus Christ was crucified with weakness there was no beauty in him that we should desire this is the true faith he washed people's feet he was not general director or superintendent or Pope he was a servant he had no title Babylon they said come they don't need to consult God let us make a way to heaven that's all false religion is there's no prayer there's no waiting upon God I mean it there will be prayer I mean all religions pray but it's a meaningless prayer you can have an all-night prayer which is not a prayer another man prays for one minute that's a real prayer I'm talking about real prey you know how the profits of bail on Mount Carmel prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed for hours and nothing happened and Elijah prayed for one minute barking that's what I'm talking about some of us glory and hours spent in prayer is good Jesus spent all night provided it's real prayer waiting on God to say Lord what do you want me to do but these people don't mean they have they've got a clever Minds counterfeit religion depends on a man's cleverness it begins with man it doesn't begin with God the language of counterfeit religion is in the beginning man not in the beginning God like we saw yesterday come let us make bricks verse 4 come let us build it originates in men and it is done through man's power we will make the bricks in we will build and it is built for man's glory you know Paul speaks about wood hay and straw three things are gold silver and precious stones and the answer to that is in Romans 11:36 from God through God and to God are all things that's gold silver and precious stones the opposite of that is from man through man to men are all things that's Babylon this is Jerusalem how is this Babylon built from man man's idea do you know how much of man's idea that is in Christian work today oh man is discovered better ideas they follow the principles of coca-cola company rather than the teaching of the Apostles they run their organizations like business enterprises and not like the apostles built the church that's a problem from man man's clever ideas why didn't Jesus give his gospel to an advertising agency they've done a better job than those twelve apostles that's man's method God's methods are different very few people know god's methods because very few people know God man is a religious creature and he would rather have religion than God it's uncomfortable to live with God it's comfortable to live with religion you can't live with God and be a great man in the world you can have Christianity and be a great man people don't want God I tell you even most believers they want Christianity they don't want Jesus Christ they don't want to walk with the yoke of Jesus on their necks from men through men man's power we don't need the Holy Spirit anymore if we've got good music if you've got electronic gadgets we can serve God anointing of the Holy Spirit supernatural gifts no wonder we are so powerless because we don't know the real secret of power that those early apostles knew the baptism in the Holy Spirit that a lot of people speak today off to me is a counterfeit there is a genuine baptism of the Holy Spirit which few here and there have experienced I would urge you seek for that and in human the power that few men here and there have known which is transformed their life which has made them into true servants of God but a lot that goes on by that name today in Christendom is all contra P why do I say con Rafi because by the fruit you shall know them I see the fruit these so-called spirit baptized people are lovers of money how can that be the Holy Spirit's not a lover of money these people are lovers of power in position that's not the holy spirit that's another spirit through men and two men it is for man's glory let us make us a name where's four years later in that in Daniel in chapter four verse 30 Nebuchadnezzar said when he looked at this wonderful city of Babylon I think it was 60 miles a hundred kilometers square huge 25 miles by 25 miles clay 5 kilometers play by kilometres square bill city built by him with huge thick walls I understand there were 87 feet thick and 350 feet high and a huge city with a beautiful Hanging Gardens one of the wonders of the world and he looked at it and he said is not this Babylon which I have built by the might of my power for my glory from man through men to men Nebuchadnezzar is nearly two thousand years after this it's the same spirit in two thousand five hundred years after Nebuchadnezzar today it's the same spirit from man through man to man it's the opposite of Jerusalem I want to just say one more thing before I move on an 11-5 it says and the Lord came down to see what men had built it's been true throughout the ages please remember that all your life whatever you build the Lord will come down to see it examine it and he's not examining the size of this organization you built or the church you're built or the building you're built he's going to examine the motive for whose glory is this I mean if we were examining size boy the Tower of Babel was so impressive he wasn't looking for that he's not looking for that today we move on to the beginning of Jerusalem in chapter 12 verse 1 begins with Abraham through whom came the nation of Israel that occupied the land the capital of which was Jerusalem it began with Abraham remember that this is where Jerusalem begins there would have been no Jerusalem if there was no Abraham and you see in Abraham something completely different from what you see in Babylon it says the Lord said to Abraham go forth from your country chapter 12 verse 1 from your relatives from your father's house to the land which I will show you he didn't suddenly get a bright idea one day like these people in Babel saying I think I'll move out I've lived in order the county's long enough let's move out and let's do something no it was 100% from God Abraham was 75 years old and it's good to wait 75 years to hear God and move Moses waited 18 years then moved and think what are you accomplished I'm not saying you've gotta wake up 75 or 80 what I'm saying is the principle wait until you hear from God and then move you think busy 20th century man has time for that I'm thankful that when I was a young man of twenty God taught me one lesson don't be moved by men let me movie don't be moved by men let me move you many men have tried to move me even good men my co-workers and my own churches yeah I listen to them I don't move I wait to hear God because I know I'll go to calamity if I move the opinions of men I'm not saying I don't consider it I'm not so proud to say well I won't consider what people say and don't ever be like that but I say learn to wait on God God said go and he went God said to Moses go and he went one day God said to Paul go and he went these are the people who accomplished something in life today people run around doing this that for the other and they accomplish nothing Statistics wise it's impressive it's not yours it's Babylon come let's go let's do something let's do something for the Lord let's make brick let's make mortar let's do something and you can impress men let's make us a name and you may do make a name and you die with a great name having built Babylon like Nebuchadnezzar it's happening in Christian work that is the message of revelation 17 and 18 but Abraham he originated with God now you realize I don't have time to tell you all about Abraham but I want you to understand this principle that whenever Abraham moved without the leading of God he got into trouble for example the Lord told him to leave over the counties and go where I tell you to go and it says in verse 31 of chapter 11 Terah that is Abraham's father took his son and moved now what had God told him leave your relatives and leave your father's house can you imagine a 75 year old man holding his daddy's hand and walking that's Abraham I tell you some of the people who are going to hinder you the most from doing the will of God will be your relatives your parents your brother's your sisters your wife your children jesus said if any man comes to me and does not hate his father mother and brother sister wife and children he cannot be my disciple because you may want to go the way if your father tells you to go Tara has to tell you where to go and it says Tara decided they went and they came as far as Haran chapter 11 verse 31 and settled there that was not God's will why did he settle there man's idea Haran is a good place but is not God's place and Abraham settled down he was a man who made mistakes and his first mistake was he listened to his father at the age of 75 and then what does God do God can deal with those situations he just killed Sarah at Tara verse 32 Tara dies Tara died and then verse 4 chapter 12 so Abraham went forth as the Lord had spoken to him you have to wait til the Lord does something drastic like that before he can get you to move on if he loves you he'll do something drastic if he sees you're a compromiser he'll allow you to stay in Haran and died in Haran and miss the will of God learn to move with God don't listen to relatives who do not know God learned to a father if he's a godly man who knows God but not to a father who doesn't know God in spirituals and Abraham went forth and he came to Canaan says in the last part of verse 5 chapter 12 5 they came to the land of Canaan and the Lord appeared to Abraham verse 7 and said to your descendants I'll give this land and he built an altar there and he was going on ok unto a test' King God tested tested Adam and he tested Abraham and he will test you and me and the test was verse 11 verse 10 there was a famine now what do you do when God has told you to go to Canaan as a famine in Canaan you either live by the witness of your census or you live by what God has told you by his skirt right there's a wonderful verse about Jesus in Isaiah chapter 11 verse 3 and 4 it says he did not make a judgment by what his eyes saw or is yours heard you hear about a famine and you see a famine and you make a judgment and if you make a judgment by what you see and what you hear you will say kin and is not the place maybe I need to move on you don't need to consult God now verse 10 so Abraham went down to Egypt who told him to go to Egypt that's not where God led him can't God preserve a man in famine time sure blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and will not be barren even in time of famine that is Jeremiah 17 verse 5 to 8 he will not be barren the man who trusts in the Lord says Lord I will not move on didn't you tell me that's how Jesus was in the wilderness when he was tempted turned the stones into bread there's a famine here of course there's a famine in the wilderness there's no bread store there's no bread nothing and 40 days of fasting turned the stones into bread and Jesus said no man shall not live by bread man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God God says and I knew but Abraham did not live by that he decided to live by bread there's bread in Egypt so let's go there this is how a lot of Christian work goes on today they don't go where the Lord tells them to go they go where they can get a good salary where there's bread organizations where there is no famine of money the famine today is not a bread it's of money so we choose an organization where there is no famine of money that's a comfortable place Egypt is a good place to be in is that the place where God wants you to be that's the question I quit my job 34 years ago I'm not just speaking as a 25 year old I have seen quite a bit of Christian work and I'm telling you after what I've seen in 34 years of moving around most people when there is a famine they go to Egypt and if you don't remember what you heard this morning you will do the same thing when you face the tests learn to live by the mouth of God like Jesus what comes from the mouth of God like jesus said it's better to die bread is not necessary for me to obey God is necessary that's the temptation the devil came even to Jesus with don't you think he'll come to you with that there's no bread here there's bread in that organization there's no money here there's money in that organization there's money in that church go there God have mercy on you but you don't make that mistake what was the result I don't have time to go into all the details he went to Egypt we read there that he had to tell a lie there that his wife was his sister you get a lot of problems when you go to Egypt he'll have to tell lies send false reports tell things that are not true compromise your conscience and even when Pharaoh took Sarah see Sarah must have been about 65 or 70 but she must be a very attractive woman even at that age for Pharaoh the king of Egypt to take the 70 year old woman into his harem she was a godly woman and even when Abram sees his wife being taken into a harem to be polluted and corrupted this man is too scared to say hey hang on that's my wife he's afraid of his life some of us who think we're very spiritual in a tight spot we discover whether we will speak the truth or not that's an encouragement for us that Abraham was not a super spiritual man who never made any mistake he was a man who made mistakes he was a man who held his daddy's hand at the age of 75 he was a man who told a life even when he was his wife was going to get polluted and corruptly God saved him from both situations God did not allow Pharaoh to touch his wife and saved him and I believe God will save you if he sees that your heart is sincere like Abraham's infant if you make mistakes that's my encouragement and the other problem that he had there was and you know just one more thing I want to say that Pharaoh was the one who rebuked Abraham verse 18 can you imagine an even king rebuking a prophet of God and saying why are you telling me a lie sometimes God's people get into compromising situations where the worldly people have to correct them it's all because he went to Egypt and now I'll tell you something which is much more serious than all this these are only temporary something else happened in Egypt that has produced consequences for 4000 years you know what that was when he went to Egypt and he's all these rich people and rich people had servant women in their house he picked up an Egyptian servant woman called Hagar and came back from Egypt now with the helper in the house his wife didn't have to do all the work Hagar was there and lo and behold a little later when Sarah doesn't have children he decides to have a child through Hagar and through Hagar camp Ishmael and I don't want to talk about all the came flourish all I want to say is it all started with one man not listening to God once you say well most of the time I listen to God okay but see here the consequences of not listening to God once and I hope that will hit home to us the seriousness how is Jerusalem bit built it must be from God when there is a famine you gotta wait on God and say Lord what do you want me to do maybe God will tell you to go somewhere that's fine if God tells you to go go if God tells you to turn the stones into bread turn it if God tells you to move to another place or another Church do that wait for God that's the point and not want to show you something good about Abraham we I mentioned these things the beginning just to show that Abraham was a ordinary man like us we shouldn't be discouraged by our failures in chapter 13 we read there was just strife between him between his servants actually not between him Abram was the type of man who wouldn't fight with anybody but says in 13-7 that there was a strife between the servants of Abraham and the servants of locked and it's very interesting what it says there there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abraham's livestock and lot herdsmen of lots livestock 13-7 and now the Canaanite and the parasite were dwelling in the land why that sentence what's the connection the connection is that the heathen people living in the land were watching these so-called godly men fighting with each other it's very relevant to today's situation absolutely relevant to today's prisoner the Canaanite and the parasite are dwelling in the land the heathen are dwelling in the land and what do they see two Christian groups fighting with each other that's what they say and in the midst of this can we find a godly man like Abraham today who will call lot the worldly person who loves money and say to him let there be no strife between you and me verse 8 we aren't brothers they were not brothers Abraham was an uncle Locke was his nephew I'd see the graciousness of the 75 year old man this 35 year old nephew of his we are running a goggling man is a humble man he may be 75 years old he can look at a man 35 years younger than him and say you're my brother you're equal to me I'll give you first preference choose what you want this is how Jerusalem is built by such men Christendom needs such leaders and they are not easily found we have needed to assert their authority and say they know who I am I'm 75 years old I'm your uncle I'm the one whom God call not you you just tagged along and came along with me you don't get people I gave her him much around these days unfortunately and that's why christened them is in the shape it is in and he sent to Abraham Abraham said to Locke if you go to the right I'll go to the left I go right you take what you want first and a lot greedy man that he was with a spirit of Babylon he grabbed he looked at the lovely fields have sold him the opportunity to make money there rich people there and he said I'll move there and I'll serve God there are people who like to move to wealthy countries to serve God they usually lose out spiritually I'll tell you that I've seen it again and again and again and again and again do you move because God led you or because there's something else that attracts I'm always amazed how people who live in the United States can have a burden for India and you can have burden in the United States but how can you live there in a burden for India I can't understand it it puzzles me Jesus didn't live in Rome and had long distance ministry to Palestine well we're not here to judge them I'm only here to warn you what I want to say here is after Abraham took this decision and lot went again just like in Babel it says the Lord came down to see what they were doing the Lord was watching how his servant was going to behave with Laden and when he saw Abram conduct himself in such a godly way after lot was separated from him 13:14 the Lord said to Abram that's very important God first separated his father by death and then he separated another relative who was a hindrance by that man's covetousness okay from now you're alone now I can get you to go where I want you to go now I can get you to be what I want you to meet and the Lord said no I saw exactly what happened do you know that every transaction that takes place between people God watches it he watches your attitude have you given up something because you want to be a Christian have you given up your rights God says I saw that now Abraham just stand here look north south east west all of this will be yours I promise it to you it won't be the descendants of lot God said that to Abraham 4,000 years ago look at that land today 4,000 years later and ask yourself who's living there the descendants of Abraham not the descendants of lot God keeps his word he keeps his word thousands of years may go by but if God said to Abraham this land which you see verse 15 I will give it to you and your descendants forever it will be like that and then we see here further in chapter 14 lot got into trouble in Sodom you always get into trouble when you go outside the will of God he got captured by the enemies and Abraham could have said serves him right the fellow grabbed something from me but he doesn't do that there you see another test for Abraham what will be Abraham's attitude when he sees this man who cheated him getting into trouble you know when somebody who cheated you gets into trouble you discover whether you're a man of God or not Abram said let me go and help them that's a godly man okay he cheated me but what did me cheat me on the garbage of earthly things that's nothing I have got heavenly riches I feel sorry for that poor man locked he went after everything now he's in trouble let me go and help him that's the attitude of a godly man these are the type of people who build Jerusalem and he went and he helped him and delivered him and on his way back when he was exhausted after the battle and possibly proud that just with three hundred and eighteen servants he went and destroyed so many armies of so many kings exhausted proud third in danger of collecting all that wealth that he accumulated through winning this battle in those days if you won a battle all the gold and silver was yours so he was in danger of exalt he was exhausted he was probably in danger of pride and danger of covetousness at that time God sends a servant of his to Abraham isn't that wonderful to see that some unknown man living out there who is in touch with God called Melchizedek you read about him in chapter 14 verse 18 now the reason why Melchizedek is important is because in Psalm 110 and verse 4 Jesus is called a priest after the order of Melchizedek and in Hebrews 7 that is confirmed and Melchizedek comes here is the only place in scripture well milkie's that it comes from verse 18 up to verse 20 how many verses is that only three verses that's all Melchizedek comes disappears and he's done his ministry and God says to Jesus you are a priest according to the order of Melchizedek not according to Levi or any of these people how is it this man who appears just for a few verses in the Bible has become so important that's why it's important for us to see it first of all he was king of Salem verse 18 Jerusalem I told you we are talking about Jerusalem the opposite of Babylon the true Church and there was a priest in this church all of us are supposed to be priests according to the order of Melchizedek Jesus is the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek and we're supposed to be priests according to that order he was the king of Salem we're called to be Kings due he has made us kings and we shall reign on this earth we're called to rule over sin we're called to rule over our passions what did he do he first of all brought food Christianity is 100% practical if a man is exhausted he doesn't need a sermon he needs food and there's nothing unspiritual about that the most spiritual thing you can do for an exhausted man is given food when Elijah was exhausted it says the angel came and gave him food after the resurrection when Jesus saw the disciples coming back after a whole night of fishing he had already prepared breakfast for them John 20:1 that is spirituality that's the spirituality we need to learn to help one another with food with material things where there is a need that's the first thing which is a mark of the order of melchizedek and then it says he blessed him verse 19 he didn't criticize them there is no criticism in the order of Melchizedek there is no accusation it's blessing and how does he bless him he says blessed be Abraham of God Most High possessor of heaven and earth what's he trying to tell Abraham listen Abraham your God in heaven owns heaven and earth what is this little bit of gold that you've got back from the war that's what he's trying to put into Abraham's head to deliver him from his covetousness secondly and blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand you didn't get that victory God gave it to you delivering him from try now how did Melchizedek know that Abraham had these three problems that he was exhausted needed food that he was in danger of covetousness that he was in danger of pride that he comes with exactly the right ministries like an arrow that went straight to the bull's eye you know how because he was a man who listened to God not a man who lived by his bright ideas a man who listened to God and when God told him there in his tent Gera takes on food I give you a two sentence message for a servant of mine whom you have never seen was coming down that road go and like Philip went to meet the Ethiopian eunuch on the road to Gaza milk is that I've got up and went not knowing whom he was to meet when he went there he saw this man whom he's meeting for the first time is like God told me give me some food praise God who owns heaven and earth praise God who delivered your enemies in your hand praise the Lord Abraham I'm off what a ministry to bless people and disappear not to hang around there to get some honor no no no the priesthood of Melchisedec is one that ministers and disappears king of Salem Abraham and Melchizedek this is how Jerusalem is built I want you to see further now in chapter 16 how Sarah suggested know before that I want you to see chapter 15 verse 5 one day the Lord took Abraham outside and said look at the heavens as the Stars there if you're able to count them that's how many descendants you're going to have and you didn't have even one then you're going to have n there are millions of stars in the sky and it says here abraham believed in the lord verse 6 he said i'm in the word believe in hebrew is among from which we get the english word I'm in it means it shall be so what that verse means Abraham's when God said you're going to have seed as the stars the guy Abraham said it shall be so yeah that's it and it was like that today it is like that the children of Abraham physically and spiritually are in millions he said I'm in and that's faith faith means when God has said something you say I'm in faith always is based on the Word of God faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God that's what we read Romans 10:17 faith comes by hearing you will never have faith if you don't learn to listen to God Abraham heard God now a lot of people today are trying to have pay for something God has not spoken I want a mercy scar and I'm gonna have faith and it's going to be green color or black color I'm gonna fake for that this is garbage this is not faith this is presumption it's tempting gun faith is based on God speaking first I'm saying it shall be so please remember this all your life and you'll be delivered from Paul's fate it begins with God not with you God says you're gonna have this are you going to do this I say I'm in it shall be so it will be so Lord what begins with you will be Babylon what begins with God will be Jerusalem so God said you're going to have stars fire he said Amin and you must keep saying I'm into God all your life now the problem in chapter 16 was after God had said that Sarah said now 16 verse 2 the Lord has prevented me from having children please take my mate have children to her have children through hear her and what did Abraham say to Sarah I'm in that's the problem you see I'm into God and then you go and say I'm into Sarah and then you end a real problem that lasts for four thousand years have you learned a lesson will you remember it all your life stop saying on internet when God has said something else God can take care of these problems without man's ways you don't need Sarah's advice God can do it otherwise you can cause problems for a lot of other people think of the problems Abraham has caused for people today because he said I'm into Sarah you know you caused problems not only for yourself if you caused problems for yourself that would be okay but you caused problems for other people that's the thing and so much mail is born verse 15 and I want you to notice something here when Ishmael is born where 16 Abraham is 86 years old what is the next verse say Abraham was 99 years old the Lord appeared to what happened during those 13 years silence you want to say I'm into Sara okay you gotta learn a lesson now I won't speak you for 13 years and I'm not gonna speak to you do you learn to value my voice more than anything else yeah my brother is God is very strict he teaches us some hard lessons thirteen years he never heard a word he thought I could produce his mail by the time he was 99 he couldn't produce anything God said okay he doesn't give up on us he said okay now I'll teach you your name worse five will no longer be called Abram exalted father but you'll be called the father of a multitude you won't have just a name you'll be actually the father of a multitude and Abraham said yes and within one year he got a son when things were helpless God gave him a son because he finally again learned to say I'm into God he changed his name God the God said you're going to be father of a multitude he said Amun Lord I've learned my lesson thirteen years of silence I mean Sarah and I got in a lot of trouble but now at last thank God you've spoken to me again and he gets a child at the age of 100 but before that God told him to circumcise everybody in his family and circumcision is a cutting off of the flesh in the New Testament it symbolizes no confidence in the flesh Philippians 3:3 we are the true circumcision who have no confidence in the flesh that's the meaning of circumcision that comes in chapter 17 what God was telling Abraham was you must not depend on yourself learn to trust me then we read that Locke gets into trouble again we read a little bit of Abraham's hospitality to these strangers in chapter 18 don't forget to be hospitable to strangers because some people have entertained angels unawares it says in Hebrews 13 that's referring to Genesis 18 where a godly man is always hospitable warm and good even to strangers and there the Lord speaks to Abraham saying I'm going to destroy a lot as Sodom and Gomorrah and again Abraham is concerned about a lot see Lord hadn't learned a lesson he got into trouble again he went back into the same place and Abraham is still the same godly man who prays and delivers lot out of that situation and brings him out but his wife gets left behind as a pillar of salt that's the thing with Jesus referred to saying in the time of the rapture two will be in one bed husband and wife one will be taken like lot the other will be left you read that in Luke 17 that's referring to what happen in Genesis 19 it's a sad story Genesis 19 he lost his wife his daughters married people in Sodom and finally his daughters committed adultery with him incest and it says here they got two children the name of those children are in chapter 19 verse 37 and 38 Amon and Moya from whom came the ammonites and the Moabites and that's why you find a conflict between the children of Israel and the moabites ammonites throughout started here when a man who had the opportunity to go along with a ram missed God's will and went I want to show you finally Genesis chapter 22 where it says here about God saying for the first time to a man now I know that you fear me it's when Abraham offered up Isaac Abraham was probably 125 years old now and God says I want to test you to see whether you love me still more like you love me at first give up your son and take three days to think about it I'm not asking you to offer him here tomorrow walk three days journey to Moriah think about it god never asks us to act in a hurry he walks three days goes to Mount Moriah lays Isaac on the altar and says Lord here you are that shows Abraham's dedication it shows also I six dedication who is stronger a 25 year old young man or 125 year old old man Abraham could not have tied Isaac down on that altar if Isaac had not willingly complied it shows how that man brought up his son blessed is a man who can bring up his son in such a way that when he says to him listen I'm going to kill you lie down here the son says okay dad you can be sure that's a godly man the way he brought up his son yeah you see Ibraham is godliness there and God says to him now I know that you fear me and I will greatly multiply you it says in verse 15 to 18 verse 12 now I know that you fear me the first place when the Bible where it says a man feared God was when a man worshipped God by saying God I love you more than my son I know I left for the counties fifty years ago but my love for you is still the same and bless it will you be my brothers and sisters if to the end of your life you can go that way wholehearted dedicated that's the way ever ham went before he finishes his life we read also in Genesis 24 he has a concern for his son and he sends his servant to get a bride for his son look at this man how he lived all through his life concerned for others live living for God and finally die it was through this man that Jerusalem in a new way started and this is the one whom God calls us to follow as an example in the Old Testament that's great

Channel: CFC India

Views: 31,823

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Keywords: zac poonen, cfc

Id: bVzZu-l1Xoo

Length: 56min 14sec (3374 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 09 2013