SUF-11
960317PM
Ever since Adam and Eve left the Garden for their sin mankind has had to choose God’s way or man’s way. Life is made up constant forks in the road, the path toward God means going away from the world.Â
No one expressed more clearly and pointedly than our Lord Jesus Christ . In His sermon on the Mount He said all our human existence is a choice between two ways – God’s or man’s.
| Matthew 6: 19-20 | Two Banks |
| Matthew 6:24 | Two Masters |
| Matthew 6:33 | Two Kings |
| Matthew 7:13 | Two Gates |
| Matthew 7:14 | Two Roads |
| Matthew 7:15-23 | Two Fruits |
| Matthew 7:24-27 | Two Foundations/Destinies! |
As we look at every day life in the 21st Century, B.C. that is, we find that it has not changed much. God’s friend Abraham was faced with the same daily struggle each of us must endure. Let us examine the TEN SPECIFIC STRUGGLES he went through and seek to learn a lesson for our lives from each. We might summarize each of his struggles as a question God was asking him. We my be asked the same questions so lets listen.
v WAITING: Is God Sufficient for Abraham to follow ? [down an unknown and potentially dangerous path] Gen 12:1-9 [+]
o When God calls we must leave behind all that would slow us down. Remember Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (NKJV)
o Hebrews 11:8-19
§ Abraham obeyed the call. v. 8
§ Abraham dwelled in the land v. 9
§ Abraham waited for the city v. 10
§ Abraham embraced the promises of God v. 13
v TRUSTING: Is God Sufficient for Abraham to rely on for protection and provision? Gen 12:10-18 [-]
o JESUS PASSED THE TEST: Christ was tempted to satisfy a legitimate desire in an illegitimate way. Mt. 4. The Scriptures have so much to say about TRUSTING GOD:
§ UNWAVERING HOPE Job 13:15
§ BLESSED Psalm 2:12
§ SECURE Psalm 4:5
§ JOYFUL Psalm 5:11
§ DELIVERED Psalm 7:1
§ CONFIDENT Psalm 9:10
§ FIRMLY PLANTED Psalm 11:1
§ KEPT Psalm 16:1
§ PROTECTED Psalm 17:7
§ STRONG SECURITY Psalm 18:2 ,30
§ ULTIMATE VICTORY Psalm 20:7
§ VINDICATION Psalm 25:2, 20.
§ DIRECTION Psalm 31:1, 6, 19, 30
§ FRUITFUL Psalm 34:22
§ SHELTERED Psalm 36:7
§ SATISFIED Psalm 37:3
§ SETTLED Psalm 40:3-4
v INVESTING: Is God Sufficient for Abraham to trust with all his treasures?Gen 13:1-18 [+]
Abraham TREASURED HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. [13:1-4] He kept going back to
where he met God. He was God’s Friend and Servant.
- Abraham was God’s SERVANT: All the possessions of his life never stood in the way of the God of his life! Psalm 105:42 For He remembered His holy promise, And Abraham His servant. (NKJV)
- Abraham was God’s FRIEND: All the distractions of life never made him forget his best friend! 2 Chronicles 20:7 ” Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? (NKJV) Isaiah 41:8 ” But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. (NKJV)
Abraham INVESTED HIS TREASURES WITH GOD [13:5-13]. All he had came from God and so it was His to do with as He saw fit!
- He practices contentment. God gave him the land why fight with Lot, pursue peace and God will settle for you all injustices. Heb 10:30 &Rom 12:19
- He lived by faith Lot by sight. Hebrews 11:10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (NKJV)
- He lived by principles. He did not grasp things he waited. Philippians 4:11-12 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (KJV)
We Should Learn as Abraham Did and INVEST OUR TREASURES WITH GOD!
v What are things that God treasures that we can invest with Him?
o The treasure of an exclusive one and only relationship with Him.Exodus 19:5 ‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. (NKJV)
o The treasure of life on earth lived in awareness of the Lord.Deuteronomy 28:12 “The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (NKJV)
o The treasure of our special possessions given to the Lord. 1 Chronicles 29:8
o The treasure of our support for the work of the ministry. Ezra 2:69
o The treasure of a godly home! Proverbs 15:6
o The treasure of living in wisdom. Proverbs 21:20
o The treasures that can’t be lost Ecclesiastes 2:8
v What warnings did Christ give about our treasures?
o Our treasures reveal the location of our heart.
o STACKED ON EARTH: Matthew 6:19 ” Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (NKJV)
o STACKED IN HEAVEN Matthew 6:20-21 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (NKJV)
§ Our treasures reveal the contents of our heart. Matthew 12:35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (NKJV)
§ Our treasures are eternalized when they are invested in heaven [the best off-shore bank there is]! Matthew 19:21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (NKJV)
§ Our treasures can be a warning that we have built our barns too big! Luke 12:21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (NKJV)
§ Our greatest treasure is the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus! 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. (NKJV) 2192 echo {ekh’-o} 2c4.7; to have, i.e. to hold in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have i.e. own, possess ; to hold one’s self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to 4a) to be closely joined to a person or a thing
§ Our greatest danger is stacking treasures for ourselves.James 5:3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. (NKJV)
v So what can we do?
o Start a regular investment program in heaven:
§ The treasure of an exclusive one and only relationship with Him. Exodus 19:5
§ The treasure of life on earth lived in awareness of the Lord.Deuteronomy 28:12
§ The treasure of our special possessions given to the Lord. 1 Chronicles 29:8
§ The treasure of our support for the work of the ministry.Ezra 2:69
§ The treasure of a godly home! Proverbs 15:6
§ The treasure of living in wisdom. Proverbs 21:20
§ The treasures that can’t be lost Ecclesiastes 2:8
o Finally, What can be the result of living by the Bible’s definition of contentment? Let’s look at just three:
§ If you are content, you can enjoy the present rather than being anxious about the future. Mt 6:25
§ If you are content, you can be liberated to truly enjoy the successes of others around you without envy. Ps 37:7
§ If you are content, you will be able to let the Lord build a true sense of thankfulness about everything. I TH5:18
v SEPARATING: Is God enough/sufficient for Abraham to leave all else behind? Gen 14:17-24 [+]
o GENERAL SEPARATION: The Word of God calls all Christians to separate from four specific kinds of situations:
§ The World System of Satan and its Pleasures (James 4:4; I John 2:15-17).
§ Spiritual Apostasy (II Corinthians 6:14-17; II John 9-11).
§ Disobedient Christians (I Corinthians 5:9-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).
§ Divisive Christians (Rom 16:17).
o PERSONAL SEPARATION. WE MUST CHOOSE TO FLEE UNHOLINESS. The Scriptures also command us to separate from anything that would contaminate our personal spiritual lives.
§ AIM HIGH Philippians 4:8
1. Gene Getz, Abraham (Chicago: Victor, ), p.
11.
2. Farrar, Better Homes and Jungles, p.189-90.
3. Ruth Calkin, Tell me again Lord (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1974), p. 124-25.
4. Gene Getz, Abraham (Chicago: Victor, ), p. 11.
5. Gene Getz, Abraham (Chicago: Victor, ), p. 11.
6. Farrar, Better Homes and Jungles, p.189-90.
7. Ruth Calkin, Tell me again Lord (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1974), p. 124-25.
8. From the Dobson Fathers tract.
9. Letters to Phillip.