Lesson 31
TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THE WEBSITE BIBLE STUDIES!
(www.growingtogetherinchristslove.org)
Bible Study 1 - Genesis 12
Series # 4: FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH
Lesson 31: Genesis 12:1-20 THE RESULTS OF FALTERING FAITH
Gen 12:1-7 (KJV) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. 6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him."
INTRODUCTION:
We have just finished up going through a horrific flood where God destroyed the entire earth because of the sin and debauchery of man. Man had so corrupted the earth that it made God sick to His stomach because it turned out to be nothing like he intended for mankind. The Progression of Sin lead God to destroy everything except Noah and his family and two of every kind of animal on the earth. Now was a time of new beginnings and immediately the sin of Adam and Eve that was in the blood line of Noah revealed its ugly face and continued throughout the generations. We will see more and more of that as we continue our studies. Abraham was not a perfect man any more than Noah, who found grace in the eyes of God. Nevertheless Abraham was a friend of God even through his many fumbles and stumbles because of his faith toward God. I love studying about Abraham and learning about faith because without faith, who can know God?
In this Bible Study we are going to be studying about faith and THE RESULTS OF FALTERING FAITH. Sometimes you and I have faltering faith and we are going to learn what to do when our faith falters. Today I want to introduce you to that brightest star in the Hebrew heaven who is Abraham. Abraham is called the friend of God. Abraham is honored by Jews, Christians and Muslims honor Abraham. Abraham was one of the greatest men that ever lived. Abraham's claim to fame was his faith. Abraham is called "The father of all them that believe." Abraham is one of the Hero's of faith.
In our reading he is referred to as Abram rather than Abraham because it wasn't until later his name was changed. So if I refer to him as Abram part of the time and Abraham part of the time you'll know that I'm talking about the same person. I want us to direct our thoughts toward 3 primary subjects . ABRAHAM'S RESPONSE OF FAITH — ABRAHAM'S RELAPSE OF FAITH — ABRAHAM'S RETURN OF FAITH.
I am confident that we are going to find out as a Christian that sometimes our faith will falter and we need to know what to do when that happens. We need to learn what God's Word has to say about faith because faith is so vitally important. The Bible says in Matthew 9:29, "According to your faith be it unto you." It's not according to your fame, fortune, friends, or fate, but "According to your faith be it unto you." When we believe God and exercise faith, we are linking our nothingness to His all-mightiness. We need to learn to trust God by faith because faith can do anything that God can do and God can do anything. So I want us to learn something about faith, THE RESULTS OF FALTERING FAITH, and what to do when that happens.
INTERPRETATION:
FAITH’S RESPONSE.
God spoke and Abraham responded and that was faith. Faith is always the proper response to the revelation of God. There cannot be faith unless God speaks, and there is no faith until there is response to God's speaking. That's the reason the Bible says in Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." There are a lot of things that people respond to other than the Word of God but there are 3 things we need to learn about that concerning our faith
FAITH IS NOT A RESPONSE TO HUMAN MOTIVATION.
Sometimes people get the idea that if they just get motivated about something then they can make something happen. There are all kinds of motivational meetings all around that teach us how to think positively and they try to get us properly motivated. Some of these people say, "If you can just think positively, and if you just have faith, you can do whatever you want to do." However, positive thinking is good but it never needs to mixed in with faith because they are absolutely two different things. Faith is not rooted in human motivation. Positive thinking is great, and I don't like to be around negative thinking people all of the time. I don't like to drive down the road following a person who thinks that every light is going to turn red, and sure enough when they finally get there it has. I'm not against positive thinking, but don't confuse positive thinking with faith.
FAITH IS NOT A RESPONSE TO HUMAN MOTIVATION. Sometimes a person will say, "I'm going to believe I can do this or that and then that will be faith." THAT'S NOT FAITH, because IT MAY BE PRESUMPTION. In Genesis 11:4 the Bible talks about building the tower of Babel in and it says: "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Four times they refer to what "us" has decided to do. They were truly motivated, but that wasn't faith it was simply human motivation. Now I want you to see the difference in what happened to Abraham in the last part of Genesis 12:1-3 "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Four times in Genesis 11 the people said "Let us." Four times in Genesis 12 the Lord said "I will." The difference between man's "Let us" and God's "I will" is the difference between failure and faith. Faith is not in human motivation. Faith is not something you cook up, scheme up, and say, "Let us do this" and then ask God to bless it. Friends there can be no faith until God speaks. When God says, "I will, I will, I will, I will" and we respond to what God says, then that is faith. “Faith comes from hearing the Word of God,” faith is not positive thinking, faith is not scheming up something, faith is not asking God to rubber stamp it what we decide to do. Faith is not naming it and claiming it, faith is claiming it after God names it. Over in Genesis 11 they tried to name it and claim it and they sat and wept among the ruins of their crumbled tower of blunders because they said "Let us, let us, let us, let us" but God said "I will, I will, I will, I will." When God said "I will" and Abraham believed it, that was faith.
FAITH IS NOT A RESPONSE TO HUMAN MERIT.
When God called Abraham, Abraham was an idolator. Abraham was a pagan, living in the Ur of Chaldeese where they worshiped the Moon god. Abraham had nothing about himself to commend to God. Yet God broke through the darkness of his life and his mind and spoke to him and Abraham believed God. Abraham had no merit to offer God. Romans 4:3 says, "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." How do you suppose Abraham got righteous? By doing good works? By joining a Church, a Synagogue or a Mosque? By getting baptized or being religious? By keeping the 10 commandments or performing some kind of rituals and rights? The Bible says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Romans 4:4 says, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." If you and I could be saved by working for it, it would mean that God owes you and me Salvation and we would work our way to heaven. The God I know is not going to be a debtor to any man, That is what Romans 4:4 is saying. Romans 4:5 says, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The reason I pointed that out is because I want us all to see and understand that Faith is not a response to human motivation but also Faith is not a response to human merit. Do you ever get the idea that somehow, if you can just become good enough you will earn the favor of God? Do you ever get the idea that if you can please God with good works, the works of your hands you will win His favor? I want to let you in on something that you may not hear anywhere else, anyone who teaches or preaches that is spreading absolute heresy! Faith is not a response to how good I am, but faith is a response to how great God is. There are a lot of self-righteous acting people and preachers who are going to miss this blessings of God. There are also a lot of people and preachers who are not nearly so outwardly righteous acting who are going to receive the blessings of God. Because those people have learned to believe God.
FAITH IS NOT A RESPONSE TO HUMAN MENTALITY.
God said to Abraham, Gen 12:1 "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:" God didn't say "that I have shown you" but "that I will show you." The Bible says "So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him;" Abraham didn't know where he was going, but Abraham just went! It didn't have to make any sense to Abraham because Abraham had faith, believed God and just responded to God's revelation. God said it, Abraham believed it, and that settled it for him.
I can just see Abraham there packing his things getting ready for his journey. Someone comes up to Abraham and asks, "Abraham, where are you going? Abraham says, "I don't have the slightest idea!" Then they ask, "How long are you going to be gone?" Abraham says, "I don't have the slightest idea!" Then they ask, "What are you going to do when you get there?" Abraham says, "I don't have the slightest idea!" Then they say, "Why are you doing this?" Abraham says, "God has called me out. I felt God speak to my heart. God has said that I am to go. I don’t know where I’m going. I am just walking West with God. I don't have to understand it. I just have to stand on what He said and respond to what He has said the best I can with His help."
There is a lot to be said about the fact that there is a big difference between “Faith” and “Foolishness.” However, when you know God has spoken to your heart about doing something, don’t worry about explaining it to anyone, don’t worry about anyone else understanding what you are doing or what they may be thinking and don't ever get the idea that if you can see your way clear then you can do something. You just keep your eyes on the Lord who clears the way and then you can do anything for God. The world says, "Seeing is believing." The Bible teaches, The way of faith is “Believing is seeing." You cannot see until you believe. Abraham went out not knowing where he was going and not knowing how long he was going to stay there. He just simply stepped out by faith and responded to God's revelation.
What could God do with us if we left HUMAN MOTIVATION behind? What could God do with us if we left HUMAN MERIT behind? How much more could we accomplish for God if we left HUMAN MENTALITY behind? Would it not be wonderful if each of us truly and genuinely STEPPED OUT BY FAITH and RESPONDED TO GOD'S REVELATION to our heart? Faith is a response to God's revelation and that's the reason we need to know this Book (THE BIBLE). There are so many people today who are just floating around, just floundering around with no real direction in life like a ship without a sail on a dark and stormy night. There are Christians today who wonder why certain things are or are not happening, and why they don't have faith. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." If each of us will saturate ourselves with the Word of God, if we will put ourselves in the presence of God in prayer and instead of doing all the talking, listen and let God speak to us then we will have the faith we need and know what He wants for our lives and then we can respond to Him.
EXPLANATION:
FAITH’S RELAPSE.
There was a time when Abraham's faith faltered. We can read about the situation in Genesis 12:10-20 "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. 11 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: 12 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. 13 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. 14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 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. 17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. 18 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? 19 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. 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had."
Here was a terrible RELAPSE OF FAITH IN ABRAHAM. Here was a time when ABRAHAM'S FAITH FALTERED. I'm not glad this happened to Abraham, but I am glad it is in the Bible because it really encourages me because my faith has faltered at times. That’s the wonderful thing about the Bible, when it paints the portrait of a man, it paints the whole picture, warts and all. Here is what happened to Abraham.
Abraham has heard God speak. Abraham says "I'll go with God even though I don't know where I'm going." Abraham is walking by faith, responding to God's revelation. He has built a tent and an altar and is worshiping the Lord. Then there is a famine in the land of Canaan which is the land of plenty and promise. Abraham was exactly where God told him to be, doing exactly what God told him to do and there was a famine in the land. Abraham couldn't understand it. There he was following the Lord, stepping out in faith, doing exactly what God told him to do, and now there he was in the middle of a famine. So Abraham decided that he would hot-foot it down to Egypt for help. Egypt is a type and picture of all that is sin and the world. Abraham had no business going down to Egypt for any reason. Abraham took his eyes off of the Lord and put his eyes on circumstances and decided to use his head instead of his heart. So Abraham disobeyed his Lord, went down into Egypt and dishonored his Lord.
THE REASONS FOR ABRAHAM ENDING UP IN EGYPT.
INCOMPLETE OBEDIENCE.
Gen 11:31 “And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.” What was wrong with that? Gen 12:1 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:” God never told Abraham to go to Haran, but that's where he went. God told Abraham to leave his kinfolks, but he went with his father and his nephew. Did Abraham step out by faith? Yes he did! When Abraham left the Ur of the Chaldees, he was believing God because the Bible says “he did it by faith.“ But Abraham didn't go all the way at first, he just went a part of the way and he took with him some things he should have never taken.
Have we ever been to "Half way Haran?" Do we possibly have some left over sins still in our life? Now I'm talking to some folks like myself who are true believers, who have really trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You have said "I am going for God!" but some of you maybe haven't gone all the way! Furthermore, some of you still have some left over sins in your life that you are still hanging on to. Some of you are probably thinking, "What do you mean I haven't gone all the way?" What I mean is, there may be some of you who have given your heart and life to Jesus and you have never made a public profession of faith, some of you have never followed the Lord in baptism, some of your have never joined the local fellowship of the church. Some of you have been visiting and visiting and you love the church where you are visiting, you love the preaching, and the music, and you can just feel the Spirit in that place of worship . You have checked it out real good, you have visited a Sunday School class. You come faithfully Sunday after Sunday and you keep waiting and waiting for only God knows what, instead of uniting with that body of believers and really getting involved and committed to the Lord. There are some of you who have been saved and baptized and you have united with the local fellowship but you are still not witnessing or serving the Lord Jesus and his church ministry in any way what so ever. There are some of you who have been saved and God has told you to leave certain things behind and you have said, "Well, I'm going but I'm going to bring that along or this along with me."
Do you know what you are? I’m going to tell you in love, but I’m going to tell you straight. You are a "HALF WAY CHRISTIAN" and you've got "HANG OVER SINS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU WON’T ADMIT OR DEAL WITH." As long as you are a HALF WAY CHRISTIAN with HANG OVER SIN you will have faltering faith all of your life! Abraham did and so will you!
INCOMPLETE DEPENDENCE
When Abraham got down there to the land of Canaan and there was a famine in the land, whether he could understand it or not, whether it made any sense or not, whether it seemed reasonable to him or not, he should have said, "This is where God has put me and this is where I am going to stay even if I starve to death." When we start tithing and we lose our job what should we do? WE JUST KEEP ON TITHING! I guess this is one of the most difficult test of the Christian life for some reason. Nevertheless, the Bible teaches and a life of faith teaches that when there is a famine in the land of plenty, you just keep trusting God! Everything that happened to Abraham was only a test of Abraham's faith. The Lord and life has taught me that one great lesson to remember above all, when it comes to faith is this: DON’T EVER DOUBT IN THE DARK WHAT GOD HAS SHONE YOU IN THE LIGHT. When we are in the will of God even if it doesn't make any sense to us, we must just keep on depending upon God and His promises and leave the results up to Him! Abraham went to the land of promise, there was a famine in the land, and Abraham said "I'm going to go down to Egypt" and that's where he got into trouble.
INCOMPLETE HONESTY.
Abraham had a good looking 65 year old wife and there were no drug stores in sight in order for her to get any cosmetics to take care of her skin in that desert sun, or to keep her hair clean and beautiful, or to make her face glow like the sun. Abraham told his beautiful wife, "When we get down there in Egypt, Pharaoh is going to want you as one of his wives. Now when he finds out you have a husband, that is going to be the end of me. So Sarai, don't you tell Pharaoh that you are my wife, tell him that you are my sister." Now there was a sense in which that was true because she was his half-sister. So this was a half truth which equated into a whole lie, it was a half truth that was meant to deceive. Anytime you deceive anybody you are telling a lie, even if you try to weave it out to make it sound like a truth.
So we can see the INCOMPLETE HONESTY, as Abraham was trying the carnal ways of the world. Anytime a man gets away from God and gets out of fellowship with God he has to start scheming and trying to figure things out on his own. Can you imagine a man telling his own wife he had rather have his wife in a pagan harem just to save his own hide? When Pharaoh found out what Abraham did, even Pharaoh was disgusted. Pharaoh said, "Would you get out of here; we're having a lot of trouble here because of you."
Folks a Christian out of fellowship with God can do some very terrible things that are even a disgrace and are disgusting to the world! Here was Pharaoh who said, "Look Abraham, you are a trouble maker. You take your wife and everything you have and just get away from me. I don't even want you around me."
THE EXPLANATION FOR THE REASONS ABRAHAM ENDED UP IN EGYPT WAS BECAUSE ABRAHAM HAD AN INCOMPLETE — OBEDIENCE — DEPENDENCE — HONESTY.
THE RESULTS FOR ABRAHAM ENDING UP IN EGYPT.
ABRAHAM LOST TIME.
The entire time Abraham was down in Egypt, he was out of the will of God. Any time we are out of the will of God, that time amounts to nothing in eternity's clock. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, anything we do out of the will of God will be as wood, hay and stubble and is gone forever. That's the reason the Bible says in Psa. 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Today, if our faith is faltering and we are not living by faith, the Bible says in Rom 14:23 "...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Abraham's faith faltered and he lost time when he could have been getting rewards in heaven. When he could have been getting gold, silver, and precious stones, he ends up with wood, hay and stubble.
ABRAHAM LOST TESTIMONY.
Abraham should have been able to witness to Pharaoh under the right conditions. But rather than being a witness, Abraham lost his witness, Abraham was disgusting to Pharaoh. IF YOU ARE A BACKSLIDDEN CHRISTIAN, please don't try to witness, do God a favor and keep your mouth shut. If you are a member of a Church and you ARE NOT GOING TO LIVE FOR GOD IN PRIVATE OR IN PUBLIC, please don't brag about your church membership or affiliation. Christian's out of fellowship with God are an abomination to God! That's the number one thing that keeps us from bringing the world to Jesus Christ! We can't win the war against sin and win the lost to a saving knowledge of Christ in a backslidden condition because we are stumbling over our own soldiers! THE GREATEST ARGUMENT FOR JESUS OR AGAINST JESUS IS THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN. When we testify, not only should we be witnesses, but we also ought to be the evidence of what we are witnessing about! Abraham was a man who disgraced God before the unsaved! If Pharaoh died and went to hell, a part of the reason was Abraham's fault because Abraham faltered in his faith.
Did you know that one day if you are saved you will see Lot in heaven? The Bible tells us that Lot was justified, that he believed God also, therefore he was saved just like Abraham and he is in heaven. Now just think about the kind of a testimony Abraham had been before Lot? Here was Abraham who took Lot down to Egypt (which is always a picture of sin) and Abraham was eventually able to get Lot out of Egypt but Abraham never did get Egypt out of Lot. Abraham was a more mature believer, and that past with which Abraham was able to live, Lot never was able to get over. What Abraham was able to overcome, Lot never was able to overcome and it became his ruin. When we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, allow sin to get into our hearts and our faith begins to falter, we may overcome it and we may come back and get back in a right standing with God. Nevertheless, there may be some other believer around us, who is going to be hurt and maybe even destroyed because of some trip we make down into Egypt. Therefore, it is expedient that we each be careful all of the time and FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH.
ABRAHAM GAINED WEALTH.
Genesis 13:1-2 , "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." Abraham gained wealth, and a part of the wealth that he gained was cattle. The only thing wrong with that is that God didn't want Abraham to have cattle. If God had wanted Abraham to have cattle God would have never depended upon Pharaoh to give him cattle. This is the first mention of cattle in Abraham's life. Abraham went down into Egypt a shepherd and he came out a cattle man. Abraham went down into Egypt a nomad and he came out a rancher. You may say, "Well, big deal!" But pay attention now. The thing that got Abraham into trouble after he got out of Egypt was these cows that he had. There was a range war, and the cowboys of Lot and the cowboys of Abraham got into a big hot argument over grazing rights and there wasn't enough grass to feed these herds that came out of Egypt. They went into Egypt with flocks of sheep and they came out with herds of cattle.
You say, "Well sheep, cattle, what's the difference?" There's a difference in the way they feed. A sheep will browse, and a cow will graze. A sheep has 2 sets of teeth, upper and lower teeth, so when they are feeding they browse, they clip the grass off at the ground. A cow has 1 set of teeth, there are only top teeth, so when they are feeding they go to taller grass, wrap their tongue around the grass, they bite down on it and then they just break it off. You see, a cow needs pasture that no sheep can live in so they can graze. What will take care of many sheep will only take care of a few cows. God didn't want Abraham to have any cows, if He had wanted him to have these cows, God would have given him these cows. Everything the Devil gives us, the Devil is going to collect for. Dr. Robert G. Lee said, "You can eat the Devil's corn if you want, but he will choke you on the cob." You might say, "Well I'm going to go down into Egypt. There's a famine in the land. I'm going to do things my way. I'm going to get something I want." Well, everything the Devil gives you, you are going to pay for sooner or later.
ABRAHAM GAINED A WOMAN.
Abraham got an Egyptian handmaiden named Hagar who was the woman who Abraham picked for a concubine, went in and had a child by her whose name was Ishmael. From Ishmael came the Arab race, and the problems in the middle East today that keeps all the whole world on edge and is causing so much controversy and casualties today is ISIS and others is because of this man named Abraham who so long ago faltered in his faith. Muslims believe that Arabs are descended from Abraham and Hagar through their son Ishmael. Abraham is further regarded as an ancestor of Muhammad. According to the Qur'an, Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba which is the Great Mosque in the capital city Mecca, the holiest city of Islam. The sacred nature of the site predates Islam. Tradition says that the Kaaba was built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and the birthplace of Muhammad the Prophet, A.D. 570. The goal of the annual Muslim hajj is a pilgrimage there instituted by Abraham.
Here was a man who could not trust God in the dark. Here was a man who took matters into his own hands. Here was a man who went down into Egypt. Here was a man who lost time and testimony. Here was a man who gained wealth and a woman. Oh what a tragedy when our faith falters! Oh what a tragedy when we get our eyes off the Lord! Oh what a tragedy when we focus on our circumstances! Oh what a tragedy when we try to do things our own way!
APPLICATION:
THE RETURN OF FAITH.
I am grateful that the Bible doesn't end here in Genesis 12, but it goes on to Genesis 13.1-4 "And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3 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; 4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD." Beth-el means "House of God." Abraham just left Egypt and went out of the land of sin and returned back to the House of God "Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD." Isn't God great? That God says, "You can come back?" Well how did Abraham come back?
THERE HAD TO BE SEPARATION (He left Egypt).
Abraham came out of Egypt because he could have never gotten right down there in the land of disobedience. If we want to get right with God, we will never do it down in Egypt. The Bible says in Isa 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." The question is: “Are we willing to come out of Egypt and to cease our dependence upon those things down there in the world?” We must come out and forsake Egypt. The most miserable person on earth, [is not the lost person who has never known anything but Egypt.] The most miserable person on the face of this earth [is the person who is saved but is out of fellowship with God.] The most miserable person is a person like Abraham who started out with God and then goes down into Egypt. We can never know joy and peace in our life when we have God in our heart and Egypt under our feet because we will be unhappy in both worlds. I think it's about time each one makes a choice to come out of Egypt. Well how did Abraham come back? THERE WAS SEPARATION. (He left Egypt)
THERE HAD TO BE SANCTIFICATION (He went to Bethel).
It's not enough to be dead to the world, we have got to be alive to God. It's not enough to say "I'm not going to do that anymore." A person may say, "I don't smoke, and I don't chew, and I don't mess with girls who do." Well, you've probably got a dog at home who doesn't do any of those things either. It's not what we don't do, we have got to come out of Egypt, the place that is out of God’s will for our life, but we have got to go to Bethel - back to the will of God for our life. There is no joy, no fulfillment, no restoration of faith until we go back to where God wants us to be! Well how did Abraham come back? THERE WAS SANCTIFICATION. (He went to Bethel)
THERE HAD TO BE SACRIFICE (He went to the Altar).
Gen 13:4 "Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD." The tent in Abraham's life showed that he was a pilgrim and a sojourner. The altar in Abraham's life showed that he was trusting God with all of his heart and soul. Jesus said "Abraham saw my day and was glad."
Listen there is that sacrifice of Jesus for us this very day. Every altar in the Old Testament was a picture and a promise that one day Jesus, who is “THE LAMB OF GOD THAT TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD,” would come and die upon the cross for you and me. I want to tell any Christian who may be backslidden to any degree and who may have a faltering faith, you need to make that separation and come out of Egypt, you need to make that sanctification and come back to God, you need to accept that sacrifice and come back to the altar, which can be anywhere. It may be in your car, your kitchen, your den, your bedroom, out in the barn or the yard, at the desk, kitchen table or church. The place of the altar is not what matters the position, practice and participation at that altar before God is what changes lives. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son cleanses us from all sins. God took Abraham back and God will take any person back. God has never left us nor forsaken us and if there is a separation, we are the ones who left God, and each person needs to search their heart to see if we need to come back?
CONCLUSION:
THE RESULTS OF FALTERING FAITH IS A SEPARATION BETWEEN US AND GOD
BUT THAT SEPARATION CAN BE DISSOLVED BY REPENTANCE AND FAITH.
DO YOU NEED SOME HELP?
To find more help in receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior please go to the Bible Study Title Page “ETERNAL LIFE.” Please send me an email and let me know about any decision for Christ you make so that I may pray for you. Feel free to send me any questions, comments, or responses you may have as well. For those who are already Christians I invite you to also please let me know of any decisions you make in your Christian life for Jesus. Please send me your questions, comments, or responses and let me know if the Bible Studies are helping you.
<rfdenning1951@gmail.com>
ALWAYS REMEMBER!
The support of your local Church ministry and the ministry of your Pastor should be the first priority of your Christian life and your service to the Lord. Be faithful to prayerfully prepare and attend Sunday School and Worship Service this Sunday and participate in worship as your Pastor preaches the Word. Do not forget to give the Lord at least your TITHE through your local church from your gross income – that is your first fruits. Any other other giving is an offering to a ministry unto the Lord. Honor the Lord in all you do and with all that you have. Always remember that everything you have and all you are belongs to the Lord. It is on loan to you – so manage it well! There will be an audit one day! Make sure the Books Balance!
All Bible Studies Are Prepared by Pastor Frank Denning And May Be Be Used By Permission.