Joint Heirs Adult Bible Fellowship Genesis, Week 49, Genesis 26 March 15, 2015 Tim Powell, Teacher. Do Not Fear...

Transcription

1 Joint Heirs Adult Bible Fellowship Genesis, Week 49, Genesis 26 March 15, 2015 Tim Powell, Teacher Do Not Fear... for I am with You Introduction: Abraham did not seek the LORD first when he experienced famine. When Isaac faced a famine, and he did not seek the Lord, either. The faith-rest life is trusting God no matter what the circumstances. Ge. 26:1-5 1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of 2 Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the LORD appeared to him and said: Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws. I. The Trial. (Ge.26:1) A drought and a famine came to the land, and Isaac s livelihood depended on the weather. This was 100 years after the famine in Abraham s time. Isaac apparently had been seeking the LORD for the Lord appeared to him (Ge. 26:2). II. The Plan. (Ge.26:1b-3a) What the Lord wants for us is to walk the faith-rest life. God says, don't go down to Egypt like Abraham did; I will take care of you. Isaac was living near Beersheba. 1

2 God directs Isaac to Gerar near the coast where the famine was not so bad. III. The Promise. (Ge.26:3-5) A. I will be with you. This is why we can walk the faith-rest life. Non-believers cannot walk the faith-rest life. This theme can be found in every book of the Bible. B. I will bless you. God promises to bless His people not necessarily with physical blessings but rather with real, long-lasting, spiritual blessings. C. I give you this land. D. I will make your descendants multiply. E. In your seed, all of the nations of the Earth will be blessed. There were special blessings to Israel and to us through them. Blessing starting with Abraham and the generations that followed. Through the Jewish people came God's Holy Word. The Messiah came through this line. F. Why? Because of the obedience of Abraham who followed God. Ge. 26:5 Did Abraham follow God perfectly? No. But he learned from his mistakes how to walk the faith-rest life. Are you not seeing God s blessing? Maybe you re not doing things God s way. If you obey God, He will give you those spiritual blessings. IV. The Test of Isaac s Faith-Rest in God Being with Him. (Ge. 26:6-11) Honesty This is what God wants from each of His children. o When the men asked Isaac about his wife, he said that she was his sister for fear that they would kill him to have her. o King Abimelech saw Isaac with Rebeca and confronted him about their true relationship. o Isaac lied because he was afraid. o He failed the test just like his father, Abraham, had done. 2

3 o People think that lying is OK when you are in a jam. o Even little white lies are lies, and they are a sin against God. o Ps. 119:21 You rebuke the proud the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. o Ps. 120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. o Pro. 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. o Eph. 4: But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and do not sin : do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. V. Isaac Prospers and is Blessed.. even though... (Ge.26:12-32) A. I believe Isaac confessed and repented between verses 11 and Jn. 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. B. Isaac prospers in Gerar (Ge. 26:12-22) The people of Gerar became fearful of Isaac's strength and asked him to move on. C. God Appears to Isaac: Faith-Rest! (Ge. 26:23-24) God wants Isaac to learn to walk the faith-rest life. (1) I am God!!! I am in charge. This is the main point where we mess up because we do not trust God to be God in our lives. (2) Do not Fear!!! God says this again and again to His followers. 3

4 (3) Why? Because I am with you!!! Even if we die, we need not fear because God is with us. Mt. 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen o Jesus promised to be with us always. Php. 4:6-7 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. o If we acknowledge that He is God and that He is with us, we will have inner peace no matter what the circumstances. Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear. Corrie ten Boom D. Isaac worships God in Beersheba (Ge. 26:25) So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac s servants dug a well. Isaac finally gets the point and learns the lesson. E. Others notice God s blessings (Ge. 26:26-33) We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. Abimelech saw that God was with Isaac. Application: Do you have trials in life? God is with you!!! Your blessings depend of your faithfulness to God. Are you a man or woman of integrity and truth? Resolve to never lie. God blesses us in spite of ourselves. Aren t you glad?? Give thanks to God! Why should we not fear? 4

5 Because God is God, and He is with us!!! Do others notice you are spiritually blessed by God? There should be something different about you!!! 5