Returning to Sinful Habits.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Welcome to Village Church. [0:01] If this is your first time here, [0:04] we exist as a church to connect people with God [0:07] through his son, Jesus, [0:08] and then to teach them to live his mission in the culture. [0:12] That’s how we gauge everything that we do.

[0:14] That’s why we exist. [0:16] That’s what we’re here for. [0:18] And so there’s one thing you leave with today. [0:20] It’s that, that we exist to live our lives [0:22] with Jesus for his mission. [0:24] By the way, we have an announcement this morning.

[0:26] I want you to know that first, next Sunday, [0:28] we’re going to have a little event [0:29] that we call Group Link. [0:30] We like to do this every once in a while [0:31] where after the service, each service, [0:34] nine and 11, all around this room,

[0:35] we’re going to have our group leaders [0:36] and some of our village group members [0:38] to give you an opportunity maybe to connect [0:41] and find a group if you don’t really have a group [0:44] that you’re connected with right now. [0:45] One thing that we love to do is teach one another

[0:48] how to live the mission. [0:49] And we can’t do that if we’re disconnected from each other, [0:52] if we’re not in relationship with each other. [0:54] And in our village groups is where that happens, [0:57] where that takes place. [0:59] So next week, if you don’t have a group, please stay,

[1:02] get to know some of the leaders. [1:03] Maybe you could use that as your time to interview them [1:05] and make sure they’re not too weird for you. [1:07] I don’t know, just get to know them. [1:09] Geography, night of the week, weirdness, [1:11] whatever your caliber is,

[1:12] that’s how you can engage it next Sunday. [1:15] Also, we’re also on March 1st [1:17] gonna be having what we call membership matters. [1:20] This is a time, a few times a year [1:21] that we like to have so that people can come [1:23] and learn about the leadership of the church,

[1:25] learn about the beliefs that we hold as a church, [1:28] about scripture, about God, about everything. [1:31] And we also spend some time for you to get to know us [1:34] as leaders that day as well. [1:35] It’s gonna be between nine and 12 on Saturday morning, [1:38] March the 1st.

[1:39] So I invite you, if you’re interested in becoming a member [1:41] or if you’re just interested to see [1:43] if this is the kind of place that you wanna come, [1:45] please come that day, get to know us. [1:47] We’re gonna have some Q&A time [1:48] so that you can ask us questions if you have any as well.

[1:52] So please come out on that day. [1:53] Then finally, this coming Friday night and Saturday [1:56] is gonna be an event called the Art of Marriage. [1:58] Whether you’ve been married for two years [2:00] or whether you’ve been married for 30 years [2:02] or whether you’re engaged to be married,

[2:04] this is a great event for people of all ages [2:07] and all experience levels. [2:09] Maybe you’re just maintaining your marriage [2:11] and you think that’s pretty good, [2:12] but that’s not what God has for us. [2:14] God would have our marriages to always be growing,

[2:17] always be flourishing, always be learning [2:19] how to love one another greater. [2:21] So this isn’t just for marriages that are in trouble, [2:24] even though if it is, this is a great place to go. [2:26] But if you just wanna learn more [2:28] and grow as a husband or a wife,

[2:29] this will be a great event for you [2:31] to be involved in this coming week. [2:33] It’s also Valentine’s Day weekend. [2:37] So husbands, let your wife know that you care. [2:40] Sign up for that event. [2:41] If you’re interested, write out in the foyer

[2:43] at the tables after the service, [2:45] there will be people with information [2:46] for how you can sign up for that as well. [2:49] And before we get into our final worship song, [2:51] before the sermon this morning, [2:53] I wanna ask two people to come up,

[2:54] Rob and Tiffany Brewer, [2:56] if they’ll just come up on stage with me real quick. [2:58] One thing that’s awesome about being a part [3:01] of a church body and being a part of seeing people [3:03] live the mission is when we’re able to teach people [3:06] to live in the culture and then when we’re able

[3:07] to see people to go to the culture [3:09] to reach them with the gospel of Jesus. [3:11] They’re leaving tonight, can I say where? [3:14] No, they’re leaving tonight to go overseas. [3:17] You always gotta make sure. [3:19] On basically a vision and mission trip

[3:21] to see what God has in store for their lives [3:24] and his mission. [3:25] They’re gonna be serving overseas [3:26] and what I wanna do is as a church, [3:29] I wanna spend some time in prayer for them [3:31] so that we cannot just see them go,

[3:34] but so that we as a church can send them out on mission. [3:38] And so that we as a church can have some faces and names [3:41] as Rob and Tiffany Brewer so that over the coming days, [3:44] we can spend time each and every day praying [3:47] that God would equip them [3:50] and that God would give them opportunities

[3:53] to see the gospel go into other people’s lives [3:55] because I want you to know something, [3:56] God’s already on mission. [3:59] God’s already working all over the world. [4:02] He’s inviting us to join him. [4:04] And Rob and Tiffany are in obedience

[4:06] going to be a part of that mission. [4:09] And so right now, if you just pray with me for a moment [4:11] and join me in praying for the next few days [4:13] for them as well. [4:15] Father, Rob and Tiffany are friends. [4:19] I thank you so much for putting them in my life,

[4:23] for putting them in the life of Village Church at Midlothian. [4:28] Lord, they’ve answered your call. [4:31] They’ve submitted themselves. [4:33] They’re making sacrifices and they’re going.

[4:37] Lord, I wanna ask that you’d protect them, [4:40] but more than that, I wanna ask that you’d use them. [4:44] Lord, that you would right now be preparing the missionaries [4:47] that they’re gonna team with. [4:49] That you’d be preparing the community [4:51] that they’re gonna be involved in.

[4:54] And that you would be preparing the hearts of the people [4:57] that they’re gonna interact with [4:58] that have not yet begun a relationship with Jesus Christ. [5:01] Or if they’re in a relationship with you [5:03] and need discipleship, that you’d use Rob and Tiffany. [5:08] That they would see a harvest while they’re over there.

[5:12] But that they would also trust you [5:14] with the seeds that they will plant [5:17] by giving your gospel and by living your mission. [5:22] God, we send them out. [5:24] And we ask that you would continue to do [5:27] what you’ve been doing all along.

[5:30] Be their God, be their guide, be their comfort. [5:35] Holy Spirit, equip them. [5:37] Give them words when they’re not sure what to say. [5:40] Give them wisdom when they’re not sure what to do. [5:44] But God, I pray that you would use the coming weeks [5:47] and their lives to give them a clear vision

[5:53] for their life and your mission. [5:56] Lord, use them.

[5:59] Give them grace upon grace. [6:02] That when they leave, that they would leave knowing [6:07] that you have done a work through them as well as for them. [6:14] It’s in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. [6:17] Amen. [6:18] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them up

[6:20] to Genesis chapter 20. [6:22] Genesis chapter 20 as we continue our series [6:25] through this second part of the book of Genesis, [6:28] which is going to go on for two more weeks after this. [6:31] And then we’re going to be starting a series [6:33] going through the kingdom parables

[6:35] Jesus gave us in the book of Matthew. [6:39] But if you have your Bibles and you’re in Genesis 20, [6:42] just to kind of preface it, [6:43] if maybe you haven’t been here or maybe you’re like me [6:46] and you forget everything as soon as you hear it, [6:48] we’ve been going through the life of Abraham,

[6:51] seeing how God worked in his life, [6:54] all of the promises that God gives him over and over, [6:57] the repentance that God sows in his heart [7:00] when he is doubtful of those promises [7:02] and goes into areas of sin and goes into areas [7:06] and times and periods of his life

[7:08] where there’s a lack of trust, [7:10] where there’s a lack of believing that God’s hand [7:13] will move, he’s seen God come in physical form, [7:16] present himself and say, [7:18] Abraham, I’m going to do this work. [7:20] Abraham, I am working in this life.

[7:22] I’m going to give you what I said I would give you. [7:24] And then he’s seen God give judgment [7:27] over the land of Sodom last week, [7:28] as we saw God work in the life of his nephew Lot, [7:32] as he redeemed him in his grace [7:34] and brought judgment onto the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

[7:37] And so we get to this place in the story [7:40] and it’s kind of like, surely Abraham’s going to be obedient [7:45] with everything that he’s seen, [7:48] with this relationship that God has given him, [7:50] with the power that he’s seen from the hand of God, [7:53] the vision for the future, the understanding of the present,

[7:57] the personal involvement in his life, the worship that he’s had, [8:01] the covenant that he’s been involved in, the judgment that he’s seen. [8:04] Surely he’ll trust and obey God all of his days.

[8:10] Yet Abraham continues to struggle. [8:14] I don’t know where you are in life, but I know that we see God move. [8:22] We experience worship. [8:25] We have these moments. [8:27] I think I had one a little moment ago during that song [8:30] where it’s like the spirit is thick.

[8:33] You know, I’m feeling like I’m in the presence of God. [8:36] His promises have never been surer to me. [8:42] And then not five minutes later, I’m struggling again. [8:45] Or maybe you’ve had a period in your life where [8:48] where there was this sin that just did like so easy. [8:51] The scripture says it so easily besets us or or we struggled with our obedience

[8:56] here, and it just seemed to get us and nag us and bring us down. [9:00] And we struggled with it. [9:01] And then it’s like we experience this great period where it’s like, [9:04] I’ve got victory over that sin. [9:05] I’m not struggling anymore. [9:07] The grace of God is powerful.

[9:09] The Holy Spirit is strengthening me. [9:11] And then, boom.

[9:15] Disobedience, same sin.

[9:19] Or maybe you’ve experienced guilt. [9:24] Of a sinful lifestyle or a sinful habit that was once true of you, [9:29] maybe it’s not true any longer, maybe when you weren’t a follower of Jesus, [9:33] this was where you find your identity. [9:36] It’s where you struggled. [9:37] And then knowing Jesus, you know, you’re forgiven.

[9:40] You you know, you’ve been redeemed. [9:42] You don’t even struggle with this particular thing any longer. [9:46] And yet you wake up one morning and you’re crippled with guilt.

[9:52] You feel the weight of your sin on you and you’re paralyzed. [9:58] We’re following God. [9:59] We’re following Jesus. [10:00] We’re obeying him’s concerned. [10:02] Even though you know it all. [10:05] You’ve read the stories, you’ve experienced the worship.

[10:10] And yet you continue. [10:12] To return to their sinful habits.

[10:17] The sinful struggles, doubts, whatever it is. [10:22] As I’ve been preparing for this is one thing I’ve realized about myself [10:26] and maybe about each and every one of us, I think this is true. [10:28] It’s it’s that we are a people who struggle to trust God, [10:33] just as Abraham struggled to trust God.

[10:36] And light of everything that we’ve seen, light of what we’ve experienced, [10:40] light of what we know about Jesus, the resurrection, the power, [10:44] the spirit that’s available to us, trusted.

[10:47] That we struggle. [10:49] Yet we still doubt. [10:51] Yet the thing that’s in front of me, the obstacle that I’ve got to go over, [10:54] the barrier that I’m experiencing, it’s still at times, maybe more times than not. [11:00] It seems bigger than God himself to me because it’s there. [11:04] I haven’t seen the promises of God made sure yet.

[11:07] I haven’t experienced the kingdom quite yet. [11:09] I don’t know that it’s there. [11:10] I haven’t seen God face to face. [11:12] So this thing, this wall, it is God right now. [11:17] Bigger than anything I know. [11:20] And so you struggle. You struggle.

[11:24] Genesis, chapter 20, I want to start reading in verse one. [11:29] So I think sometimes we’re hard on Abe.

[11:33] From there, Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shir. [11:39] And he sojourned in Gerar. [11:41] And Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, she’s my sister. [11:46] And Abimelek, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah. [11:49] But God came to Abimelek in a dream by night and said to him, [11:53] behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she’s a man’s wife.

[11:58] Now Abimelek had not approached her. [11:59] So he said, Lord, will you kill an innocent people? [12:03] Did he not himself say to me, she’s my sister. [12:05] And she herself said, he’s my brother in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands. [12:10] I have done this. Then God said to him in the dream, yes, I know that you have done this. [12:16] And the integrity of your heart and it is I who kept you from sinning against me.

[12:22] Therefore, I did not let you touch her. [12:26] Now then return this man’s wife, for he’s a prophet, so that he will pray for you and you shall live. [12:32] But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die. [12:36] You and all who are yours.

[12:40] This is almost like deja vu. [12:44] If you’ve been with us, you know that almost verbatim we experienced this in Genesis 12. [12:49] It was just a different place with a different king. [12:52] Before he goes to Egypt because there’s a great famine in the land that God’s promised him. [12:57] And he goes and the Pharaoh comes. [12:59] And if you know anything about Pharaohs, of course, they love beautiful women and they tend to just take them and kill their husbands.

[13:05] So Abraham looks at his wife. He says, lie. [13:08] Tell them you’re my sister. [13:10] And then God judges him, judges Egypt. [13:13] We come back together and you’re like, oh, man, Abraham knows the truth. [13:16] Now he’s not going to struggle. [13:18] We don’t know why he’s in Gara doesn’t say anything about a famine.

[13:21] We just know that he went there and immediately you don’t even see the contemplation taking place. [13:27] It’s just like she’s my sister.

[13:31] Not wife, sister.

[13:35] And he struggles, he lies, he deceives.

[13:41] Number one this morning, I want us to understand from stories such as this, knowing the truth doesn’t mean you won’t believe lies. [13:52] Knowing the truth doesn’t mean you won’t believe lies. [13:55] Abraham feared man more than God. [13:59] He did. He did. [14:01] Here’s the difference in our lives. [14:03] There’s a difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone.

[14:09] There’s a difference between knowing information and knowing a person relationally. [14:15] There’s a difference between knowing about an event and there’s a huge difference between living, experiencing that event. [14:24] There’s a lot from history that I know about. [14:28] But if you are a person that actually experienced a war, are you experienced a battle, are you experienced being the president? [14:37] Are you experienced? It’s different.

[14:41] In the same lens, knowing all about God, knowing who he is, is far different than knowing him.

[14:52] One’s totally information and the other one is relational. [14:56] The other one is faith. [14:58] You can know all about faith and never actually have faith.

[15:09] Never actually live it. [15:12] Never actually apply it. [15:15] Never actually know the person that is the God of the universe.

[15:23] You can find yourself sometimes in life when you’re not living it, when you’re not trusting it, when you’re not believing it. [15:30] But you think you’ve got all the information and you can talk the game, you can deceive everybody. [15:36] But then when an event comes into your life and temptation rears its head to you, that information will do you absolutely no good. [15:44] Because it’s not translating into a life of faith, a life of living and following God as he has called you to in your life. [15:56] Have you ever fallen back into a sinful habit?

[16:02] I’m guessing that by the silence, yes. [16:06] All right. [16:06] It’s like, I don’t want anybody to know about that. [16:10] Yeah. [16:11] Every one of us have. [16:13] Every single one of us have experienced the struggle of something that’s habitual in our lives that we just can’t seem to shake.

[16:21] We just can’t seem to have victory over. [16:23] Or maybe have you ever experienced a time when you just didn’t exhibit faith? [16:28] When you knew all about it, but you didn’t exhibit it, you didn’t follow God where you knew he wanted you to go and instead you kind of sat on the sidelines and maybe watched while other people did it. [16:37] Or maybe you just retreated and ran away. [16:40] Yeah, each and every one of us have. [16:42] So that’s why Abraham isn’t that different than us.

[16:47] I was just so overcome with that this week that our temptation is to look at him and saying, Abraham, you have no excuse here. [16:54] You know so much.

[16:57] Well, here’s the reality. [16:58] If you’re a follower of Jesus, if you trusted him, if you know the word, you know what has happened. [17:04] You know what is God has done. [17:06] You believe. [17:06] Here’s the thing. [17:07] We’re just like Abraham.

[17:10] Just like him.

[17:14] We hear a lot of messages in this life.

[17:19] But the biggest message that we receive is from ourselves. [17:25] You know, you talk to yourself more than anyone else talks to you. [17:30] You know, the messages that you receive come from you. [17:32] You’re the only person that you can’t get away from. [17:36] All right. You’re laying in bed at night. [17:38] Maybe maybe you’re all alone or maybe your spouse is asleep and you’re just winding down and you just like you cannot turn it off.

[17:47] Never told yourself to shut up. [17:50] Yeah. [17:52] It’s because we talk to ourselves. [17:55] The largest messages that you’re going to receive are from you. [18:01] And so the greatest lies that are going to come into our lives are the lies that we tell ourselves.

[18:09] You see, Abraham struggled with telling himself a lie.

[18:13] So we don’t have any information that would lead us to believe that he knew a Bimelech. [18:17] We don’t have any any understanding of the fact that maybe Abraham knew of the land that he was sojourning in at that point. [18:23] All that we know is that as soon as a Bimelech comes into his life, he feels this absolute urge to lie to their lead to the leaders.

[18:32] And had nothing to do with the Bimelech and everything to do with him. [18:36] Everything to do with the lies that he was telling himself, because here’s what he had. [18:41] He had a guarantee from God. [18:43] Abraham, my promises are going to be fulfilled in your life. [18:49] Guaranteed. [18:50] Nothing can take them away.

[18:52] I’m going to do a work. [18:53] Your descendants are going to outnumber the stars. [18:55] So at worst, God’s going to somehow use a Bimelech’s presence in Abraham’s life to further that promise.

[19:06] He knows this, yet he’s telling himself a completely contradictory message to what God has already informed him of.

[19:15] Do you know that you have promises from God? [19:18] Do you know that if you’ve trusted Jesus, if you’ve trusted and you’re following him, [19:21] that there’s absolutely nothing that can take away the promises that God has in your life. [19:27] Absolutely nothing. [19:28] Yet how often do you act in complete contradiction to the promises of God as if they’re not true and as if you’re pouring your hope and trust in something else? [19:39] And see, that’s what Abraham’s doing.

[19:40] Abraham is putting all of his hope, all of his trust into his own cunning, into his own logic, into his own reason, in his own strategies. [19:49] Even though his strategies, his logic and his reasoning are completely contradictory to what God has told him in his life that it needs to be. [19:57] And we often find ourselves in exactly the same boat. [20:00] Look in Proverbs chapter three. [20:02] This is one of those verses that many of us have possibly made our life versus, yet rarely do we apply it to the type of situation a Bimelech is in. [20:09] The word of God says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.

[20:14] In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.

[20:21] Do you see Abraham is leaning on his own understanding? [20:25] Abraham’s not trusting in God in this situation. [20:28] Abraham sees someone that he fears. [20:31] Abraham sees someone that could possibly cause him harm. [20:33] Abraham sees somebody that could possibly take away the stuff that he has. [20:38] Abraham sees somebody that could possibly kill him.

[20:40] And instead of trusting in God, you know what he does? [20:42] This isn’t looking too good for me. [20:44] How can I get my way out of it? [20:45] Well, here’s a strategy. [20:46] Here’s the reasoning. [20:47] Here’s the logic.

[20:48] I’m going to use that. [20:52] Tech says right here that God is to be trusted because God will make your path straight.

[20:59] You see, oftentimes we see a very curvy road.

[21:03] God sees it straight as an arrow. [21:05] He knows where you’re going. [21:06] He’s never surprised by things that come up in your life. [21:09] God is not surprised by your beginning. [21:11] God is not surprised by your ending. [21:12] And God is not surprised by anything that happens in between.

[21:15] Even though some of the things that happen in our lives, [21:18] they look like they are making as sharp of a curve as possible. [21:22] And we cannot see what is coming around that bend. [21:26] From God’s perspective, he sees it all.

[21:31] And so God promises those who have trust in him, those who will follow him, [21:36] He says, I will make your path straight. [21:40] But trust me, because the moment you attempt to be the navigator instead of God being the navigator [21:49] is the moment that you will begin to stumble.

[21:55] The guarantee was that God would work it to further the promise God gave Abraham. [22:01] See, the unknowns that we have in our lives often dictate how we follow and obey God in faith.

[22:08] You know, we don’t know what will happen if we follow God. [22:13] But God does.

[22:15] I don’t know how things are going to turn out in my life as I follow God, [22:19] as I strive to have faith in him, as I seek to please him. [22:23] I don’t know how it’s often going to go, but here’s the reality. [22:26] God does. [22:27] I ask myself questions and even do this. [22:29] You know, God has given me the commission.

[22:31] He said, proclaim the gospel of Jesus. [22:33] Tell people about the cross. [22:34] Bring people into my kingdom. [22:36] Show them this great redemption. [22:37] But then I’ll ask myself, what if I get rejected?

[22:42] What if what if we lose money that we could have gained if we hadn’t obeyed God? [22:47] What if we experience some sort of pain physically or relationally when we follow God? [22:54] What if I’m misunderstood by someone else? [22:59] If I live a life of faith, God wants us to obey him fully and trust him with the outcome.

[23:08] One of my my fears was kind of kind of this landed on me this week. [23:13] You guys have like forty five minutes. [23:15] I have all week with this text. [23:17] All right. It like lands on me like a ton of bricks sometimes. [23:20] And and I’m thinking one of the greatest fears that I have sometimes in getting to know people [23:25] and making friends, even meeting my neighbors is I fear the question.

[23:32] You know, the question is, what do you do?

[23:37] I’m a pastor. [23:40] And you know what I do? [23:42] I’ve already got it mapped out how they’re going to respond, how they’re going to treat me, [23:46] what they’re going to say, what they’re going to do, how they’re going to run to the car if they see me outside [23:50] instead of saying, hey, because they think I’m going to whip up in my New Testament or something [23:54] and start a sermon.

[23:56] I’ve mapped out everything that I think is going to have no clue.

[24:04] But it’s because I oftentimes fear people more than I fear God.

[24:14] Have you ever been afraid that your neighbors find out you’re Christian?

[24:22] You ever you ever you ever had a moment where you’re like, what if they ask me? [24:28] About Jesus, what what if? [24:32] What if they ask me a question I’m stumped on? [24:35] What if they are like a rocket scientist and Adam, an atheist, and they hate the faith and they hate me [24:41] and do all sorts of terrible things about me? [24:44] And here’s the thing. You haven’t even met the guy.

[24:47] He just works at Lowe’s.

[24:51] You know, trust in the Lord.

[24:59] He’ll make your path straight. [25:01] Obey him.

[25:04] Don’t be afraid. [25:06] But we do that. [25:08] Every day. [25:10] There’s also the possibility that God will work in ways that will amaze you. [25:20] And because you don’t trust.

[25:25] You don’t get to see it.

[25:28] Which is why number two this morning, what we fear often reveals what we worship.

[25:35] We frequently say, what do you treasure in life? [25:39] Because because what you treasure shows your idols or shows what you worship. [25:43] But we don’t often look at the opposite end of that spectrum. [25:47] What are you afraid of? [25:49] What you’re afraid of will oftentimes show what you’re worshipping just as well as you treasure. [25:54] What you’re afraid of will ultimately show you what you treasure.

[25:57] What are you afraid of losing?

[26:01] What are you afraid of happening? [26:02] What are you afraid that someone might take away from you?

[26:09] What are you afraid that someone might say to you? [26:12] What are you afraid that someone might ask you? [26:14] What are you afraid that someone might do to you? [26:17] What are you afraid that someone might ask you? [26:17] [26:17]

[26:17] [26:17] [26:17] [26:17] [26:17] [26:17] ask ourselves a question like that what we’re revealing in our lives is where

[26:22] we’re struggling to have faith in God to have trust in God and truly how we’re [26:27] either worshipping God or worshipping something else because if I fear for [26:32] safety so much that I never live for the gospel do you know what I worship I [26:36] worship security for fear losing money so I never want to do anything for the [26:42] Lord because you know I might lose my job or I might be called to serve [26:47] somewhere you know what I worship I worship money and stability in my house

[26:51] and my possessions or or maybe I worship my reputation and so I don’t want people [26:58] around me to find out about my faith or even ask me about my faith because I’m [27:01] afraid that that I’ll lose my reputation that I’ve gained of being you know the [27:05] most friendly person in the world or have all the friends and I might lose [27:07] some of my friends or what if I worry about there being dissension in my [27:11] family so much so that my faith is more of a private thing than it is a

[27:15] practical thing that I live out for the love of others well you’re also [27:18] worshipping your reputation and you’re worshipping people so much so that it’s [27:21] keeping them away from faith that’s not love I mean we can invent all the [27:26] scenarios in the world but here’s the reality what are you afraid of what are [27:31] you looking for in life because sin problems are faith problems you believe [27:41] if you’re like Abraham you believe that if you lie you’ll be safe because he

[27:47] doesn’t have faith that God will keep him safe or faith that God will better [27:52] him many of us function in this world claiming to believe the gospel while we [27:57] practically live out a doctrine of lies in our lives look in verse 8 this is [28:07] so Abimelek rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told [28:12] them all these things I mean Abimelek has a dream God puts himself into [28:17] Abimelek’s life God just shows up Abimelek doesn’t know God so God’s like

[28:23] here I come that’s one of the great heresies of the prosperity gospel by [28:27] the way as an aside is because they say stupid things like you have to have [28:31] faith to activate God that God can’t do anything with when we don’t allow him [28:36] to do them and Abraham’s completely running in the opposite direction and [28:40] God’s like already there bro I’m in a Bimlex head and a Bimlek rises up early [28:48] in the morning no hesitation called his servants and told them all these things

[28:54] and the men were very much afraid if you have a pen or pencil underline that word

[29:00] afraid then a Bimlek called Abraham and said to him what have you done to us and [29:06] how have I sinned against you that you have brought on me and my kingdom a [29:11] great sin you’ve done to me things that ought not thought that you ought not to [29:15] have done and a Bimlek said to Abraham what did you see that you did this thing [29:20] and Abraham said I did it because I thought there is no fear of God at all [29:29] this place and they would kill me because of my wife there’s two contrasting fears at work here

[29:39] and first you’ve got Abraham’s fear and that’s what started this whole thing as he said these [29:45] are a people who don’t fear God so he reacted by not fearing God does that make any sense no [29:53] doesn’t make any sense they don’t fear God they could do terrible things to me so I’m gonna not [29:57] fear God disobey him deceive these people and really join what I’m accusing them of how often [30:03] you do that you accuse someone of something and you end up being exactly like them that’s what [30:09] happens Abraham but then you’ve got another fear you’ve got the fear of a Bimlek the guy who

[30:15] Abraham’s like this guy doesn’t fear God so God makes a Bimlek fear him it says that not only was [30:25] he afraid his people his servants his family all afraid of what God Abraham says these are not a [30:36] people that fear God and really what he’s doing there is he’s forecasting nor will they be afraid [30:41] of God if I tell them about him and so God shows Abraham Abraham I got the power to make people

[30:53] what ultimately we have though that Abraham’s functioning on this fear thing all right fear [31:00] is great and fear is crippling I know everybody in here is afraid of something just told full [31:05] disclosure I’m terrified of spiders and snakes all right they’re just terrible my wife has to [31:10] kill spiders for me it’s like I turn into a little child as soon as I see the smallest spider if I [31:16] see a spider in my room my brain goes ahead and informs me oh hey guess what that spider was [31:22] probably in your mouth last night while you were asleep now there’s a nest in there and all sorts

[31:28] of creepy things I mean that’s how that’s how terrified I am of spiders and then then with [31:35] snakes believe it or not at one point I interned at a church and I was over their children’s [31:40] ministries that’s hard to believe I know but I was and I saw I took a host of these young men to [31:45] camp and we were roughing it I’m not a kind of guy that roughs it this camp they just did not build [31:49] cabins with like central air or anything it was really weird for me like the shower was just a [31:55] pipe coming out of another pipe and I was just like someone should do something here go get lows

[32:01] I don’t know and we go to our cabin in the woods one afternoon and there’s a snake in the cabin I [32:09] literally got on a chair and got the nine-year-olds to take care of it I was so terrified and then [32:15] that night they thanked me by putting a rubber snake in my sleeping bag so imagine the terror [32:24] of not sleeping for the next four days that’s what I went through they immediately chose the top bunk [32:33] but here’s the thing our fears mostly are about our thinking about our mind about the tricks we [32:43] play ourselves with the lies that we tell ourselves about things that haven’t even happened

[32:47] things that may never happen but we believe so much so that they’re going to happen that it [32:53] changes the very way that we live and so your mind is the pathway to faith your mind is where [33:01] faith is going to begin and your mind and your fears are something that you need to give over to [33:06] God let me show you what Jesus says and when he’s giving the greatest commandment in Matthew chapter [33:10] 22 verse 37 he says he said to them you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with [33:16] all your soul with all your mind so don’t divorce your thought processes or your information

[33:22] processes from faith because they inform our faith our minds where our faith is grown but [33:27] that actually is what gets it into our everyday life then in Philippians chapter 2 verse 5 when [33:32] Paul writes about faith he says have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus [33:38] Paul writes that we can have the very mind or the very thoughts of Jesus himself but the question [33:46] is how do we begin to form that and give it to God first you tell yourself the truth telling [33:54] yourself the truth is is one of those things in your life it’s really gonna revolutionize your

[33:59] life in many ways because it’ll begin to undo the unnecessary and illogical fears that you have in [34:06] your life but how do you begin to tell yourself the truth when all that you’ve been telling [34:10] yourself is a host of lies somebody dropped a bomb on me this week I was talking to a friend of [34:16] mine who’s also a pastor this week and he dropped this bomb on me and it stuck with me ever since [34:20] he said habits will trump willpower every single time habits will trump willpower every single time [34:30] because here’s what we do we say okay I’ve got this thing right in front of me I got this thing

[34:34] I’m gonna white knuckle it I mean I’m gonna tough this one out I’m gonna obey God in this specific [34:40] situation and then like almost immediately we go into some default mode where either sin enters [34:45] our lives or we’re running from the thing that we needed to have faith for why because you’ve got a [34:50] habit of doing that you’ve not saturated your life with maybe the truths of God how can you live a [35:00] life of faith when you don’t know your faith what if you don’t know the scriptures can you tell [35:07] yourself the truth of scripture if you don’t know it no so how do you know the scripture you form a

[35:11] habit of feeding yourself the scriptures or you form a habit of praying for power from God you [35:16] form a habit of praying for strength from the spirit and then in your day-to-day life you form [35:21] a habit of having faith in God but here’s what we often do we wait until a situation where faith is [35:30] necessary in our lives presents itself and we wait for that very moment to all of a sudden try to [35:38] equip ourselves all of a sudden try to exhibit faith that we’ve never exhibited before and then [35:42] we’re shocked when we disobey God or when we fail to have faith if you want to have faith practice

[35:51] it in your life go to the scriptures not when you need encouragement not in a moment when you need [36:00] strength every day when you think things are okay so that in the moments of struggle you’ll have it [36:07] you’ll know it because you’ve developed a habit you’ve told yourself the truth when struggles come [36:18] that drop you to your knees and prayer in that moment and you’re like I don’t even know how to [36:27] from a habit of faith when things are good pray thank God praise him so that when things can get [36:39] bad you go to the habit trust your willpower friends when we disobey God we miss an opportunity

[36:52] to see how God can work through us see the part of this story amazes me is because Abraham didn’t [36:59] believe that God was gonna work in the life of Abimelech so he didn’t try he didn’t even try he [37:05] had this habit of running away like you don’t even see him like really strategize here he just does [37:10] it that shows it’s a habit in his life that he’s a coward he’s a liar he’s a deceiver so just boom [37:15] here it is but God inserts himself into a into Abimelech’s life here’s what I believe I believe [37:22] that we have moments every single day where God wants to work God wants to do amazing things but

[37:28] we don’t believe it we believe that bad things gonna happen before it ever even happens God is [37:35] showing us in this story what if Abraham had proclaimed the promise of God the moment he met [37:41] Abimelech Abimelech comes and Abimelech’s like hey I want your wife what it would have for us [37:45] a scenario happens and he’s like I’m gonna kill you so that I can have your wife and Abraham looks [37:48] to him and says whoa bro I got the promise of God let me tell you about it let me inform you of the [37:53] faith that I have in the God of the universe who said that my descendants are gonna outnumber the

[37:57] stars of the heavens what if God had meant for that to be this moment of amazing faith shaping [38:04] greatness for Abraham and Abraham missed it see the truth is God was gonna work with or without [38:15] Abraham God’s gonna do it he’s not dependent on you excuse me but you have the privilege of being a [38:28] part of it but when we don’t have faith that God could use us to proclaim the gospel to someone [38:36] and they’ll have faith because God gave it to him God doesn’t miss out we do what could God do [38:49] through us if we simply trust in him what are you missing out on by your lack of action where God’s

[38:59] mission is concerned how are you avoiding living for the gospel out of fear in your life what if [39:06] you replaced fear with trust what could you see God do in your life if you would just trust him to [39:14] go to do to obey God won’t just change your life he could change the lives of everyone around you [39:28] if you just trust him I think he shows us that by how he works in a Bimileck’s life the man who [39:35] doesn’t fear God Abraham had only feared God more than he feared a Bimileck third this morning sin [39:49] must be fought not reasoned with if you want God to use you if you want to be a part of God’s mission

[39:56] you have to understand that the sins not something that you reason with since something that you [40:01] against the Puritan John Owen said in his book mortification of sin be killing sin or sin will be [40:08] killing you so here’s what happens look in verse 11 once again Abraham said to a Bimileck I did it [40:15] because I thought there’s no fear of God at all in this place and they will kill me because of my [40:19] wife besides she’s my indeed my sister the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother [40:25] and she became my wife and when God caused me to wander from my father’s house I said to her this

[40:31] is the kindness you must do to me at every place to which we come say to me he’s my brother here’s [40:39] one like amazing thing that we see in this part of the passage Abraham from the moment he left [40:45] daddy’s house has been planning to sin been planning it that’s why it was just default that’s [40:53] why it was just so fast no reasoning the moment he meets a Bimileck sister that’s why there’s no [40:59] hesitation there was no meeting between him and Sarah they just did it because that’s what they [41:04] had known to do that’s what they had practiced to do because he reasoned out why his situation was

[41:11] different why his sin because of who he was where he was what he was gonna do the things involved in [41:19] why it was okay you ever reasoned out why your sins small you know why it’s not gonna affect you [41:25] why it’s not gonna hurt anybody else why it’s not really a big deal or even more so why your [41:30] situation is so much different than everyone else’s situation that your sins maybe not even [41:35] really a sin at all even though God calls it a sin God understands yeah because you’re reasoning [41:42] out your sin you’re preparing to sin before it ever even comes into place you’re toying with

[41:48] temptation when the scriptures clearly say flee from temptation see God wants us to feel the same [41:56] way about sin that he does that no matter what we lose no matter what the cost we run from sin [42:03] Galatians chapter 5 1 Paul likens it to this he says for freedom Christ has set us free stand

[42:15] How do you think about sin how do you think about your obedience to God Jesus frees us from the bonds [42:22] of sin so that we may experience the joy of living for him yet we often attempt to convince ourselves [42:28] that we will find the freedom we are looking for in sinful actions or even convince ourselves that [42:33] our lack of action for the gospel isn’t sin at all this is the game that we play God says your [42:40] sin was slavery and I have freed you from the bonds of slavery but we run back over and over [42:47] again thinking that there’s security in those chains there’s comfort there’s satisfaction there’s

[42:55] joy so when it comes with with the thou shalt nots or the things that we know we should stay away [43:00] from the immorality of this life oftentimes that’s our vice that’s why it’s called a vice because [43:06] it’s where we really find comfort but it’s really slavery God says I’ve freed you run free you’re no [43:14] longer bound to sin you know longer bound to the slavery of sin that burden that’s coming on you [43:19] have made you completely free you don’t have to sin any longer but that habit keeps calling us back [43:27] because it’s what we’re used to but it’s not always just the thou shalt nots because people

[43:34] I hear all the time how moral you are and and how man you didn’t go see this or you didn’t do [43:40] that or you didn’t do the other thing and it’s just like that’s good I’m glad you didn’t but what [43:45] did what did you do and so we pat ourselves on the back for how good we are I mean so much to where [43:53] somebody you know one time I was in a Bible study I wasn’t here at Village but this guy was so proud [43:56] of himself because he hadn’t even broken the speed limit like a year dream big but and somebody [44:06] in there’s like I would drive the speed limit I’m proud but it’s not just the things that we

[44:20] shouldn’t do often times we excuse our apathy for the things of the gospel and the things of [44:26] God behind a veil of morality and we do it to the detriment of our faith what is God doing through [44:36] the gospel in your life right now how is the gospel shaping you how is it building you how is [44:44] word changing you your motives your attitudes your actions everything see we like to focus on [44:51] this one thing but God says I want it all I’ve freed you from slavery and everything but our [44:57] lack of action for the gospel is a sin even though we excuse ourselves and say that I’m in a season

[45:03] where I can’t do much for the gospel oh so you’re just in a season of slavery that’s good God called [45:11] you a life of no slavery make sure you risk for the gospel so that you aren’t risking the gospel [45:20] the difference between faith and lack of faith is how you would have reacted in Abraham’s shoes [45:25] death was not the worst thing that could have happened to Abraham even though that’s the story [45:30] he told himself that’s where his mind was he said if I die that’s the worst the worst thing that [45:35] could have happened to Abraham is the worst thing that can happen to you and that’s not having faith

[45:38] at all the worst thing that could ever happen to any one of us is that we not have faith in God [45:44] when we go into cycles of sin we risk as Abraham did he risked the promise of the child between [45:51] he and Sarah he was risking the gospel we must wrestle with the tension of our need to endure in [46:00] the gospel with God’s sovereign act of keeping us saved let’s wrestle with that tension is the [46:07] gospel in your life forcing you to have faith or are you just an information junkie who’s not living [46:15] for faith first Peter 417 warns us that to believe the gospel leads to obeying what it calls us to in

[46:22] our lives look at what Peter says and this is to a people who are suffering great persecution he says [46:28] for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God and if it begins with us what [46:33] will the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God this is the thing that we aren’t [46:42] used to seeing we don’t typically see obey the gospel we look at the gospel is what we receive [46:48] and it rightly is but when we put our faith and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ we’re obeying [46:55] the call of God to believe but when we’re living to proclaim it to those around us to form our

[47:04] lives around the greatness of Jesus to treasure him in all things that’s also obeying the gospel [47:11] and what Peter is saying is is that there are those in the church who are not really a part of [47:17] the church and that’s my greatest fear for all of you is that you would be here hearing it week in [47:24] and week out in a village group hearing it week in and week out and never having an ounce of faith [47:31] because you never did anything with it you never did anything for God you never proclaimed it to [47:37] anyone you never believed it what could God do with us if we believed if we trusted and that’s for me

[47:45] as much as it is for you faith is lived or it’s not real the answer is continually to turn from our sin to turn to God

[48:07] it’s called repentance to repent of sin means that that we were facing our sin Abraham’s facing [48:15] the sin of fear and the call to Abraham was to turn from the fear give it to God say God I trust [48:25] you more than I trust that sin I’m gonna follow you I’m gonna obey you I’m gonna give my life [48:29] to you I no longer want to be a slave to my fear life is defined by our amount of repentance [48:38] we will disobey we will struggle we will have times of great hurt we will have times where [48:45] maybe there’s even doubt where there’s discouragement but the question is are you seeking to repent do

[48:51] you hate your sin are you struggling with it or are you hugging it

[48:58] are you loving it refusal to repent is a mark of unbelief

[49:06] finally this morning I want us to understand that it is grace that draws us and it is grace [49:13] that keeps us here’s the wildest thing about this whole story to me and it just captivated me [49:21] look at verse 14 then Abimelek took sheep and oxen and male servants and female servants and [49:30] gave them to Abraham and returned Sarah his wife to him Abimelek said behold my land is before you [49:36] dwell where it pleases you to Sarah he said behold I have given your brother a thousand pieces of [49:43] silver it is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you and before everyone you

[49:48] are vindicated then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelek and also healed his wife and [49:56] female slaves so that they bore children for the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of [50:00] Abimelek because of Sarah Abraham’s wife what Abraham experiences in this story is a great [50:07] grace that is for him and not against him if you’ve been given the gift of faith in God then his [50:13] grace is always a work to your benefit even in the most dire of situations because God totally [50:19] flips the script on Abraham he starts the story with great fear of Abimelek and then God uses

[50:26] Abimelek as a work of grace for Abraham and when I when I see this in the story I see this amazing [50:36] thing that Abimelek is this great giant of a man with a great kingdom of people who are going to [50:43] Abraham great harm and God goes to Abimelek the man who he feared the godless pagan and God [50:52] turned Abimelek towards Abraham and then uses Abimelek to bring God back to to being Abraham [50:58] back to God when does Abraham pray to God when Abimelek tells him to

[51:09] pray oh what great grace our father has for us

[51:15] that he will use whatever it takes to draw us back to himself

[51:23] Abraham had absolutely nothing to fear but he believed the lie

[51:33] that God wasn’t going to work for him [51:39] and in great grace God takes Abimelek puts himself in his story turns his face towards Abraham comes [51:48] to Abraham and through Abimelek tells Abraham the story God is for you God is always forever [51:58] for you in Romans chapter 2 verse 4 Paul puts it this way do you presume on the riches of his [52:06] kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to [52:11] repentance see here’s how we often deal with God we deal with him he comes into a place in our lives

[52:18] where we’re struggling or where we’re fearful or where we’re sinful and it’s like God is going to [52:23] use his great terror to turn me back to himself repentance only comes through fear

[52:32] this is the story we have of scripture we have of scripture the story of God replacing fear with [52:37] his kindness and God showed his eternal kindness to Abraham when he brings Abimelek back and [52:45] Abimelek says Abraham can you pray to God for me

[52:51] and when Abraham prays that’s repentance that’s the return

[53:03] God wouldn’t have us to constantly live in dread of what could happen [53:09] rather in faith he wants us to know what will happen and it is our good that’s going to happen [53:17] he will never let us lose anything that he excuse me that we won’t be better without [53:25] if we’re obeying him you’ve got to believe that God promises that everything that comes into our [53:32] lives everything that happens everything that we go through everything that we experience will [53:39] be for our good in his kingdom everything all of your struggles will be turned to good

[53:49] all of your heartaches will be turned to good all of your trials all of your struggles all [53:56] your tribulations all your sicknesses all the times people have hurt you all the times you’ve [54:02] hurt others everything done to you everything done by you God will make it good

[54:18] and I know some of you enough to know the pain that you’ve been through [54:22] relational pain physical pain pain of loss

[54:31] but here’s what I know

[54:35] when God goes into a Bimalek’s mind we still didn’t know how it was going to turn out [54:42] but God did

[54:46] he is right now taking those curves that are ahead of you on the path [54:54] right now the things you haven’t experienced right now he’s taking them and he’s saying [55:01] hold on to me you don’t see what’s around the bend but I do hold on to me [55:10] and I’ll make it straight [55:13] I’ll keep you safe he’ll keep you loved [55:19] and then he in eternity when God finally delivers his great kingdom

[55:29] it’ll be good all of it

[55:34] but understand this morning that faith that excuse me faith and repentance are inseparable [55:39] acts of grace that for that good to be true for you

[55:47] you’ve got to live it you need to experience that faith that trust that hope that peace [55:57] so I want to ask you this morning how’s God working in your life

[56:02] where are you trusting him or where does he want you to trust him [56:07] where’s the gospel of Jesus working in your life and mind today maybe you know the information [56:13] but you’ve never followed in faith do you need to trust Jesus

[56:21] because he’s the guarantee of all that good

[56:25] the cross of Christ is what brings us forgiveness the cross of Christ is what brings us hope [56:29] so it brings us redemption so it brings us every good and wholesome gift that God has for us

[56:40] do you trust him

[56:45] this morning I’m totally overcome I have been all day by this reality

[56:54] that I will never

[56:58] not need Jesus I’ll never not need him for eternity I’ll need him

[57:07] and he’s so good that he will never stop giving himself to me [57:17] he’ll never leave me he’ll never forsake me [57:23] because he is a God who’s faithful [57:29] friend you need to trust Jesus

[57:34] and he’ll give as the band comes up every week we we we respond with the Lord’s Supper [57:44] with the bread and with the cup this morning as we respond for those of you that are followers [57:53] of Jesus if you’ve trusted him I want you to understand that if you’ve trusted Jesus we have [57:58] stations around this room all of them are open when you come I want you to come this morning [58:03] maybe spend a moment in your chair praying to God God where do I need to trust you

[58:11] what do I need to give to you and when you come I want you to come proclaiming the gospel of [58:18] Jesus as greater than any of those fears that are keeping you from trusting God [58:24] maybe this morning you’re going to start a new habit and that’s a habit of telling yourself the

[58:33] gospel the cup is his shed blood the bread this is broken body poured out for you for your good [58:46] maybe you’re in here and you’ve never exhibited faith it’s never been real to you it’s never [58:52] taken hold in your life and today you need to trust Jesus you could do that

[58:59] turn to him and he’ll never turn away from you

[59:05] if you believe if you trust come worship the king

[59:22] you