Genesis 24:10-67 Sermon

Genesis 24:10-67

Mother of Millions

May 26, 2019

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         This is the continuation of the story of Isaac and Rebekah. Last week, we looked at Abraham’s insistence on finding a bride for Isaac that was a worshipper of the one true God. Abraham had faith that God would deliver.

         Abraham’s servant was willing to go but lacked the faith of Abraham. The Bible goes into great detail about this story. We should not skip over the sections of the Bible where God has decided to reveal a bunch of little details to us. He does so in this section.

         Abraham’s servant saddles up the camels and heads out on his expedition. No doubt, this was done with a great deal of pomp and expectation. As he leaves city, he is probably nervous but excited. The farther he got from home, the more unlikely the outcome began to settle in. Why all this fuss? Why so far away? We might not even find them. If we do, it is unlikely to work out. There won’t be a woman who is a match. She won’t be willing to go. My master will be cross with me. God’s curse will find me. 

         I can imagine all of these thoughts assailing Eliezer. By the time he arrives in Haran, he is certain about the impossibility of the outcome. That is right where the Lord wanted him.

A Loved Bride

The Bible is all about marriage. From the very first pages of the Bible a man takes a bride and the two of them are called to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. This is the main story line of the Bible.

Unfortunately, the bride is less than perfect and easily believes the lies of the devil. The man, and many subsequent men, fail in their roles as husbands, the children are often a mess and the outcome is marriages that are not a good paradigm of godly fruitfulness.

In our passage today, another man, another husband, Isaac, chooses to love another bride, Rebekah. These two should also cause us to remember God’s prescription to fill the earth with godly offspring. They are blessed of God and part of His plan to fill the earth, but they fail, too, and we keep looking for the faithful groom and the faithful bride.

And yet, God is faithful. He provides the perfect bridegroom, who gives himself for the bride, whose job it is to make her perfect, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And that bridegroom and that bride produce millions of millions of faithful children, as many as the stars in the sky or the sand upon the seashore. A loved bride is a beautiful thing and that is exactly what we are as we are gathered here at this glorious wedding feast, the marriage supper of the lamb.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Preparation for Communion

Prayer of Thanksgiving

         Our Father, we thank You that You have not forsaken Christ but have raised Him from the dead. And we know that You will not leave or forsake us, but that You have granted us new life and have promised to provide for our every need, even each day our daily bread. We give You thanks and pray that You would increase Your blessing upon us that we might give all the glory to You, now and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Preparation

Gracious and merciful Father, You are slow to anger and quick to forgive sins. You have forgiven us and invited us to be seated at Your great banqueting table. We give You thanks. As we eat and drink this meal, we ask You to fill us with Your Holy Spirit, increase our faith, empower us to good works in Christ, expand our love for You and for all of Your people. Bless us in the eating of this bread and in the drinking of this cup of blessing, we pray. Amen.

Confession of Sin

Scripture of Confession: Proverbs 9:17-18 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

Prayer of Confession (congregation shall kneel, if able)

Minister: Let us confess together.

Corporate Prayer of Confession- Our Father, forgive us for our secret sins that we hide from others and think we can hide from You. Convict us by Your Holy Spirit, that we might hate our sins, turn from them, and turn from death to life as we turn to our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Things Leading to Death

We often recoil from the law. We are afraid of the policeman because we know he can find something that we are doing illegally. When it comes to God’s law, we shrink away for the same reason. Any thorough examination from God will reveal things leading to death.

          But God’s prescription for dealing with deadly poison in our hearts is to remove it to produce life and health. Why would you insist on clinging to those things that only give immediate pleasure and surely result in long-term sickness? In reality, there are many reasons. We like our pleasures. We like our sins. We don’t think about where they lead. We don’t care what God thinks. We are simply foolish. We bank on Gods’ forgiveness in the future, not knowing that our hearts will be too hard by then to even seek His forgiveness.

Whatever the reason is, it is not reasonable. The only truly reasonable response is to forsake those things leading to death and embrace the love of God in Christ Jesus. Repent, therefore, and turn to the Lord.

Praise

O Lord God, maker of Heaven and Earth, we rejoice in this Easter Season that the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. That same Spirit that raised Christ up, also dwells in the midst of Your people, granting us life and joy. We glorify Your Holy name. Attend unto our worship, prayers, singing, bible reading, preaching and communion. Grant us abundant life in Jesus Christ and joy overflowing in Your Holy Spirit. We give You all glory, power and praise, both now and forever more. Amen.

God's Provision

We know that God is our provider. We have food, drink, shelter, transportation, all things needful for life. If we are paying attention, we realize that God is the One who sustains us in all of these things.

He provides for our physical needs but He doesn’t stop there. He provides forgiveness, restoration, healing of the soul, joy, peace. To wit, all the internal spiritual needs.

Jesus Christ has paid the price to save you from your sins. He has risen from the dead to grant you new life in Him. He has sent His Holy Spirit so that you might walk in this newness of life in an obedient manner. We shall not continue in sin but if we sin, we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is slow to anger and quick to forgive sins.

There is no need in this life or in the one to come that has not been fully provided by our kind, gracious, promise keeping God. Trust in Him and rest in peace and joy.

Confession of Sin

Luke 24:5-6 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.

Our Father, the one in whom there is life and who raises the dead, forgive us for remaining perplexed about Your power and might. Remove all of our doubt and unbelief and grant us faith to clearly see the risen Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to repent and turn from sins and turn our faces towards our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

For Those Named Christian

Today, we baptize a little one and name him Christian. For all of you named Christian, the promises of God are held out to you. Are you weak? Sinful? Distressed? Heavy laden? Happy? Fulfilled? Doubting? Strong? Unsure? Confident? Needy? Self-sufficient? 

         It doesn’t matter how you feel today about God’s promises, or whether this is a good day in sanctification or a bad one. God is ever faithful and His promises are ever sure. In Christ Jesus the promises of God are always yay and amen. This day His forgiveness is for you. This day His Spirit is for you. This day, all of God’s promises are for you who are named Christian. Receive them with gratitude and joy.

Genesis 24:1-9 Sermon

Genesis 24:1-9

A Good Woman is Hard to Find

May 19, 2019

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         In our last section, Sarah died and it was the occasion for Abraham to purchase property and begin to take ownership by purchasing the cave of Macphelah in the land of Canaan. We see this is God’s plan as Hebron is the very place were David begins to rule. Furthermore, after Saul’s death, Hebron is the place where a decisive battle takes place to see whether God had chosen David or Saul. God makes his choice clear in choosing David.

         The title of the sermon, A Good Woman is Hard to Find is not a joke. It is true. Many men have gone astray from following God by choosing a woman that is not faithful. In the subsequent history of Israel, we see that women are often a snare to them. Of course, it takes the sinful lust of the men to fall into such sins. But we should understand the power of women to entice and lead astray. 

         God considers the choice of a spouse a very important matter. This is why one should not choose a spouse simply based upon physical attractions. In the Old Covenant, Israelites were to marry only Israelites. In fact, they were supposed to marry within their own tribe so that the land inheritances were not confused. But they were must marry within the covenant or suffer God’s chastisement.

         Keep in mind that this requirement to marry within the covenant was not simply blood lines. In the Geneology of Christ are Rahab of Jericho and Ruth the Moabite. These women forsook their land and their foreign gods and were joined to Yahweh and His Covenant people. What is proscribed is the sort of thing that Solomon did when he took foreign wives and honored their pagan gods by letting them stay in their religion. He even built them temples to worship false gods.

         I have seen how for the love of a woman, a young man can be challenged to serve God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. If those are the character qualities that she upholds then many young men will rise to the challenge. But such a woman is hard to find and many young men are unwilling to look that hard or wait that long.

         In the history of Israel, we see a great deal of concern about offspring. The Covenant with Abraham begins with the ritual of a covenant sign in circumcision. It is important for us to see why. From God’s perspective, the entire project of His covenant promises is about godly offspring. He has promised to be a faithful husband and is looking for a faithful bride. 

Genesis 23:1-20 The Discipline of Faith

Genesis 23:1-20

The Discipline of Faith

May 5, 2019

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         There is a lot of laughter surrounding Sarah. God speaks to her about having a baby in her old age and she laughs and unbelieving laugh. She thinks she knows her body better than God. The angel chastises her and she comes around to faith. She gets pregnant at 90 years old and laughs, hardly being able to believe it. Isaac is born and she calls him, ‘he laughs’, knowing that God has done a great thing and given her laughter.

         Abraham laughed when God said he would have a son in his old age. He was disciplined to believe when God spoke. He couldn’t believe it either but it was the laugh as to why would God bless him so, not the laugh of unbelief at God’s ability to do so.

         Sarah and Abraham laughed together at the blessing of Isaac, coming to agree that God had poured His blessing upon them. They believed God and their belief was reckoned as righteousness.

         In chapter 23, Sarah is now quite old, 127 and at the end of her life. God had promised her descendants and land. She had a son, Isaac, who is now 37 years old and yet unmarried. She does not have grandchildren but must believe that what God said He would do, He would fulfill. Sarah and Abraham. still have no land of their own. They are sojourners in a foreign land. And so she must believe God for this promise as well.

Good Friday Homily

Good Friday Homily

4/19/2019

The Good in Good Friday

Lynchburg, Virginia

Prayer of Illumination- O Father in Heaven, we thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for us and for our sins. Grant us Your Spirit, we pray, that we might be empowered to fully lay down our lives for You, for our Lord Jesus and Your Holy Spirit. Help us to know and believe that as we lay ourselves down, forsaking our own desires, only then do we truly and fully become all that You desire us to be in Christ. Amen.

         

         This is Good Friday and it is good. We may think of it as Bad Friday for this is the day our Lord was murdered. But He was not simply murdered, His life and potential cut short of doing all that He could or should do. No, He gave His life for sinners and He did so at just the right time and in just the right place. 

Wicked men killed Him but just as the Father had planned. For Acts 4:26-28The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done.

         So, wicked men did wicked deeds but our Father accomplished His good will through them. It was good that it be so. It was good for us that Jesus died on the cross. Otherwise, we would still be dead in our sins.

We understand that we cannot pay for our sins. Only Jesus can do that and He has done so. But we can choose to hold ourselves back from Him or fully give ourselves to Him. 

We will only refuse to give ourselves to Him if we do not believe that He is good and that He desires the very best for us. We might choose to retain our own wisdom, our own freedom, our own desires. But Jesus has died to make man fully man. As long as we refuse Him and hold onto ourselves, then we will never be what God meant us to be. Jesus said, “Mark 8:35For whosoever will save his lifeshall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”

Jesus has died to bring peace between God and man. Jesus has died to bring peace between man and man. All those who have died with Christ on the cross are also those who have been raised with Christ on the third day. But those who refuse to die, who refuse to submit themselves fully to Jesus, will also fail to receive the life that is in Him.

So, we are reminded on this horrible day, we are reminded on this glorious day, that we must die. But we are also reminded that our Father is the Creator of the universe, that He speaks to the darkness and it produces light. He speaks to the weak and they are made strong. He touches the sick and they are healed. He touches the blind and the deaf and the lame and they see and hear and walk. He calls to the dead and they come forth from the tomb and cast off their garments of death and walk into life. 

Our Lord Jesus goes to the cross and we do not fear to go there with Him for He will arise and we will arise with Him. Amen.

Death's Epilogue

We preach Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. To unbelievers, a scandal and an outrage. To those who are being saved, the power of God.

Why is this? Is death good? No, death is not good. Death is an enemy and the last enemy that will be put to death. Death is a formidable foe. Even though condemned by Jesus’s death, death remains strong. He rattles his sword and attacks even the saints of God.

Death can make dead. But there is one thing that death cannot do. Death cannot make alive again. This is why we Christians do not fear death. He can harm us. He can even kill us. But he cannot keep us dead.

Because Jesus has risen from the dead, there is no more Pharisean/Sadducean debate about the Resurrection of the Dead. The dead do rise and all that are in Christ rise with Christ.
Thus, the Epilogue of Death is “In the end, death died and there was none who could resurrect him. And all those saints he killed, rose from the dead and stood over his grave and laughed at his inability to make alive again.”

Dear Saints, the death of Jesus was our death to the power of sin and death. The Resurrection of Jesus is the power of our life in Resurrection to life.

Disciplined Children

Dear Saints, some children despise their chastening. They do not like it when their father gives them a strong word. Little ones do not like it when their father gives them a spanking. 

         But if you want obedient, well-mannered, strong, happy, content teenagers and young adults, it is necessary to bring a lot of discipline in the early years. That outward fatherly discipline develops inward individual discipline. It is sometimes difficult for men to find the right balance of hardness and mercy, often too harsh or too soft. Not so with God who is the perfect Father.

         We are the children of God. Many of us suffer, even at His hand. He is the sovereign ruler and our father, the one who knows best what we need to be mature Christian men and women. His discipline of us proves that He is our Father. If He left us alone, we would have reason to worry. But He has not done so. Embrace the Lord’s Fatherly, good discipline as His beloved child. Practice this discipline of faith.