Godprint: The Life of Abraham

Skip Heitzig

The life of Abraham overflowed with adventure, crisis, fear, faith, and most importantly, God. God's fingerprints left a deep impression upon Abraham's life, and in turn, Abraham left a lasting impression upon his world. The apostle Paul called Abraham the "father of all who believe" (Romans 4:11). Join Skip Heitzig in this study from Genesis as he takes us on a journey through the life of Abraham.

*Excerpted from Pastor Skip's Expound Genesis series

 

Table of Contents

# SCRIPTURE: MESSAGE:
1 Genesis 12 Genesis 12
2 Genesis 13-14 Genesis 13-14
3 Genesis 15 Genesis 15
4 Genesis 16-17 Genesis 16-17
5 Genesis 18 Genesis 18
6 Genesis 19 Genesis 19
7 Genesis 20:1-21:8 Genesis 20:1-21:8

 


 

SERIES: Godprint: The Life of Abraham
MESSAGE: Genesis 12
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 12
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4173

MESSAGE SUMMARY
The Bible presents Abraham is our example of justification by faith. Although his life was not easy and his walk was not perfect, Scripture refers to him as a friend of God. Let's take a look at the testimony and testing of Abram and learn important lessons about God's faithfulness in the lives of His people.

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Introduction - Genesis Records:
    1. Events (Chapters 1-11, 2000+ years of history)
      1. Formation of the Universe
      2. Fall of Man
      3. Flood on Earth
      4. Fallout from Rebellion (Tower of Babel)
      5. Formation of a Nation
    2. People (Chapters 12-50, 350 years)
      1. Abraham (Abram)
        1. Father of those who believe
        2. 3 religions revere him, (Jewish, Christian, Muslim)
        3. Our example of justification by faith (Romans, Galatians, Hebrews 11)
        4. Friend of God (2 Chronicles 20, Isaiah 41, James 2)
      2. Isaac
      3. Jacob
      4. Joseph
  2. Abram's Testimony
    1. Background (Genesis 11:24->)
      1. Terah was his father
      2. Ur  (Southern Mesopotamia)
        1. Greatest, most advanced city
        2. 300,000 people
        3. Cultural (music, crafts, university, library)
        4. Center of idolatry, animistic, moon god Sin, Joshua 24:1-3 (legend says Terah was a dealer in idols and Abram was his assistant)
      3. Haran died (Abram's brother) (vs. 28)
        1. Tragedy which impacted Abram
        2. Abram raised Haran's son, Lot
        3. Fable- Terah told Haran to worship the god of fire, when he refused his father threw him into the furnace.
      4. Sarai, his wife is barren (vs. 30)
        1. In ancient cultures barreness is viewed as a curse
        2. Leah, Rachel, Jewish tradition
    2. Spiritual Journey
      1. The Lord HAD said get out of your country
      2. He didn't fully obey
        1. Abram wasn't leading and didn't leave his family Terah was leading
        2. Didn't go to the promised land until his Father died
        3. Stopped at Haran, a border town, (means delay)
        4. In tough circumstances, he didn't obey God
      3. Application - Your past and your heritage can be viewed as a hitching post and hold you back or a guide post you learn from and move forward.
    3. Covenant with God 12:1
      1. What GOD has done 1 John 4 (it's about what He has done, not about you)
      2. I will make you a great nation (Abram was 745 years old, with an infertile wife, now there are 7.2 million in Israel, 5.6 million are Jews, 43% growth rate is due to immigration, #4 in citrus production, #3 in flowers
      3. I will make your name great (God identifies Himself with the name Abraham, less that 2/3 of 1% of the world population are Jews, but they have won 25-33% of all Nobel prizes.
      4. And you shall be a blessing (Bible, 10 commandments, Savior)
      5. You will become a great need (bless those who bless you, curse those who curse you…those who turn against Israel become second rate nations)
      6. God told Abram to leave and he left. Didn't know where he was going, but he believed the promise. (what do you do with God's promises?)
      7. The route he took was along the rivers, Shechem, Bethel, Ai
  3. Testing Abram fails his first test
    1. We face trials of faith, like a muscle faith must be exercised.
    2. When Abram gets to the promised land there is a famine.
    3. Goes into Egypt
    4. Asks Sarai to lie and tell Pharaoh she is his sister instead of wife (half-lie, half-sister)
    5. He went outside of God's command and thought he got away with it.
    6. God plagued Pharaoh
    7. Application
      1. Whenever we sin, it has far reaching ramifications and it affects others.
      2. Ironic when unbelievers rebuke believers.a
      3. Doubt leads to disobedience you are in danger.
Figures Referenced:  Donald Grey Barnhouse
Cross References: Joshua 24:1-3, Acts 7:2,  Hebrews 11:8

Topic: Testimony and Testing of Abram

Keywords: Abram, Ur, Israel

 


 

SERIES: Godprint: The Life of Abraham
MESSAGE: Genesis 13-14
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 13-14
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4174

MESSAGE SUMMARY
All of us make mistakes; we falter and fail in our relationships with the Lord and with others. Abram was no different, but by God's mercy he is the Father of them that believe. As we examine his life and the lives of those around him, we'll see that they encountered trials and temptations not so different from our own. Let's take a look at the differences between godly Abram and worldly Lot, and avoid the hazards of flirting with temptation.

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Warning! Doubt is Hazardous
    1. Abram looked back at what he did in running away to Egypt.
    2. Abram learned that doubt can be hazardous to your spiritual health
    3. Abram was a new believer, learning to trust and walk
    4. By mercy he is the father of them that believe
    5. We too falter, fall, and fail, we are all learning
    6. Abram returns to the land of promise (It is better to trust God when the cupboards are bare than to live in abundance outside of His will)
    7. Abram went up vs.1
      1. Geographically
      2. Spiritually
      3. Relationally
  2. Riches
    1. Money is neutral
      1. It depends how someone is affected by it
      2. It depends what someone does with it
      3. The LOVE of money is a root of all kinds of evil, whether you have it or not 1 Tim 6
    2. Source
      1. Sometimes a result of God's blessing
      2. Sometimes people abuse power, steal or work hard for money
  3. Abram left Egypt
    1. Coming back with more than he had when he left
    2. Figurative of the children of Israel who plundered the Egyptians
    3. Returned to Bethel - the house of God
    4. Pitched his tent toward the house of God, between the dump (Ai) and the house of God (like us in between the dump of this world, and the house of God, heaven, we're moving toward)
  4. Repentance
    1. Abram remembers
    2. Abram repents
    3. Abram repeats what he did before
    4. Like the church of Ephesus in Revelation
    5. When we stumble there is an altar waiting for us
  5. Strive
    1. Stuff is a source of conflict between Abram and Lot
    2. The Canaanaites and Perizzites are watching and listening
      1. The world is watching us
      2. We must be careful who is watching and listening
    3. Two men who want 2 different things
      1. Abram
        1. Walking with God
        2. Deferred to Lot
        3. Abram repented
        4. Let's God choose for him
        5. Pitched his tent toward the house of God
        6. wise
        7. fled temptation
      2. Lot
        1. Waling with Abram
        2. Wanted it all
        3. Lot returned
        4. Chose it all for himself James 4
        5. Pitched his tent as far as Sodom
        6. Worldly
        7. Flirted with temptation
  6. Separation
    1. Good for Abram
      1. Incomplete obedience to take his family
      2. God promises him descendants and the land
    2. Bad for Lot
    3. We are called to be separate from those who don't walk with the Lord 2 Tim 2
  7. War (chapter 14 first mention of war in the Bible)
    1. 4 Hammite Kings vs. 5 Shemite Kings
    2. The cities in the Jordan valley who had paid tribute to Chedorlaomer rebelled
    3. Lot is in Sodom
      1. Saw Sodom
      2. Separated from Abram
      3. Pitched his tent toward Sodom
      4. Living in Sodom
      5. Will be politician in Sodom (chapter 19)
    4. Abram is a Hebrew (first mention)
    5. Abram engaged in battle
      1. He is a peacemaker
      2. Loved peace enough to fight for it
      3. 318 trained militiamen vs. armies of 4 kings
  8. Abram meets Melchizedek
    1. King of Righteousness
    2. King of Salem (peace)
    3. Monotheistic king in polytheistic culture
    4. Worships El Elyon
    5. Brings bread and wine
    6. Abram paid him a tithe
    7. Higher priesthood than Levi and Aaron (paid a tithe to him in Abram's loins)
    8. Who was he?
      1. Shem
      2. Canaanite King with divine revelation
      3. Jesus, pre-incarnate, Christophany
  9. King of Sodom
    1. Offers Abram of the spoils of war
    2. Abram wouldn't take them, he remembers Egypt
    3. Honors God
  10. Application
    1. Be careful with your vision, where you set your eyes
    2. Be careful with your values
    3. Be careful with your choices
Figures Referenced: Raphael, Michelangelo, Francis Schaeffer, George Beverly Shay Cross References: Genesis 19, Judges 7, Psalm 110, 1 Timothy 6, Hebrews 7:1-10

Topic: Abraham

Keywords: Abram, Lot, Melchizedek, war

 


 

SERIES: Godprint: The Life of Abraham
MESSAGE: Genesis 15
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 15
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4175

MESSAGE SUMMARY
The nation of Israel is the avenue though which the Lord has blessed the world with the Messiah. God's promise to Abram guarantees their ownership of the land, and provides a picture of His divine accomplishment, based on God's work alone. Join us as we uncover the doctrine of justification by faith from our text in Genesis 15.

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Introduction
    1. Everything has a beginning, except God
    2. Genesis is the book of origins
      1. Universe
      2. Mankind
      3. Marriage
      4. Sin
      5. Salvation
      6. Israel
    3. Origin of Israel
      1. Abram called to go to Canaan
      2. Patriarchal Era 2165 - 1804 BC (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 12 Tribes)
      3. Receptacle of the Messiah to bless the world
    4. Genesis 14
      1. Abraham's rescue operation
        1. 5 Shemmite kings revolt against the 4 Hammite Kings
        2. Lot taken captive along with the Shemmite kings
        3. Abram and 318 servants form army to go to war
      2. Abram meets Melchizedek
        1. King of Salem
        2. Melchizedek gives Abram bread and wine
        3. Abram pays him a tithe
        4. Type of Christ or theophany
      3. Abram meets Bera
        1. King of Sodom
        2. Bera offers him a monetary reward
        3. Abram declines the reward
  2. Fear Not vs. 15 (first mention, used 70+ times in the Bible)
    1. Abram was afraid
      1. Fear of vision (Daniel in Daniel 10, John in Revelation 1)
      2. After-battle blues (Elijah 1 Kings 18)
      3. Fear of Man
        1. What if Chedorlaomer retaliates/
        2. Refusal of the reward meant refusal of future alliance
    2. Fear is a destructive emotion
      1. Paralyzes you
      2. Irrational (university of Wisconsin study revealed that 40% of what we fear will never happen)
  3. God Answers Panic with Promise
    1. God has promised descendants (Genesis 12:2,7 , 13:14-16)
    2. Abram's Perplexity
      1. Abram is about 85 at the time
      2. Eliezer of Damascus (Damascus was the commerce capitol of the world at the time.  It could be like saying, "When I die, the bank is going to get everything.
    3. God Repeats the Promise
      1. God doesn't give explanations, He gives promises
      2. Same promise repeated, reveals patience
    4. God Clarifies the promise
    5. God Expands the promise
      1. Number the stars, so shall your descendants be
      2. Abraham looked up and saw a part of the galaxy   (Isaiah 40) (Milky Way 10,000 light years x 100,000 light years, 7.5 times around the world in 1 second, pass the moon in 1.5 seconds, pass Venus in 2'18", Pass Mercury in 4'30" 7.5' pass the sun, but it would take 100,000 years to cross our galaxy)
  4. Believe  - Genesis 15:6 (aman - to confirm, support)
    1. A key verse in the Bible
    2. The faith is counted as righteousness (Romans 4, Galatians 3, James 2)
    3. Justification by faith (Belief is all God requires, not works)
    4. Two Religious Systems
      1. Human Achievement
      2. Divine Accomplishment (all good works cannot cancel debt, but God accounts righteousness by putting what Christ did to the ledger of those who believe.
    5. Affirmation
      1. God introduces Himself
      2. God's self-proclamation 
    6. Abraham believes, not unbelief  he is looking for pragmatic solutions, how will it happen?
  5. Cutting a Covenant
    1. Cut the animal in two, (like shaking hands, or signing a contract)
    2. Abram waited from morning to night
    3. Why did God wait so long? To make a unilateral covenant (berith in Hebrew) not contingent on Abram
    4. Unconditional covenant to own the land
    5. Conditional to occupy the land
Hebrew Terms:  aman (to confirm, support) berith (covenant)
Cross References: Genesis 12:2,7 , 13:14-16, 1 Kings 18, Isaiah 40, Daniel 10, Romans 4:1, Galatians 3, James 2, Revelation 1

Topic: God's Covenant with Abraham

Keywords: Faith, Abram, Abraham, fear, afraid, covenant, promise, believe, belief, justification

 


 

SERIES: Godprint: The Life of Abraham
MESSAGE: Genesis 16-17
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 16-17
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4176

MESSAGE SUMMARY
It's a common problem; trusting our feelings rather than trusting the Lord. But feelings are misleading, and as we learn from Abram and Sarai, trying to help God fulfill His promises can be costly. Their spiritual detour from the will of God produced ramifications we are experiencing today. God is faithful however to fulfill His promises, His plan is perfect, and His will will be accomplished.

DETAILED NOTES

In our text, Abram and Sarai take a detour from the will of God. Abram displays a shallower faith than what we expect and we are still experiences the ramifications of his detour.  Feelings are misleading.  Sometimes when we trust the Lord it feels unsafe.

  1. Following God is the safest way to travel through life
    1. It was a mistake for Abram to heed Sarai's voice
    2. "God helps those who help themselves" not in the Bible.  Ben Franklin said it.
    3. We think if we start a work in motion that God will carry us through .
    4. Abram and Sarai try to help God fulfill His promise.
  2. Abram and Sarai (assume good intentions)
    1. Sarai is past 75,
      1. She thinks the promise is not going to happen through her body.
      2. What exactly did God say? (through Abram, but not through her)
    2. Sarai proposes that her younger, Egyptian maid, Hagar, carry the child
    3. They had waited 11  years, it's hard to wait "Hope deferred makes the heart sick"
    4. We impose our own design in the flesh
  3. Hagar (vs 3)
    1. They must have picked her up in Egypt (the past has a way of catching up with you)
    2. Abram goes in to her and she gets pregnant
      1. Means the problem was with Sarai's body, not Abram's.
      2. In ancient culture that would mean Sarai was cursed.
      3. Hatred between Hagar and Sarai
    3. What had begun in the Spirit they tried to complete in the flesh (Galatians 3)
    4. How many times have we tried to step in and help God keep His promises? Given him advice?
      1. Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in His ways, don't try to fulfill His promises in the flesh.
      2. Better to ask for the right road ten times than to take the wrong one.
      3. Hagar was Sarai's property
      4. Sarai is very angry.
      5. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Victor Hugo 
      6. The seed of Ishmael and Isaac are still at war with each other 4,000 years later. "Whatever man does without God, he'll fail miserably or succeed more miserably." -George MacDonald
    5. Hagar leaves and is travelling toward Egypt in the barren desert. (vs 7)
    6. The Angel of the Lord meets her there - First Mention of Angel of the Lord - Gabriel?
      1. The story of failure, yet the mercy and grace of God meet her there.
      2. She should name him Ishmael, means God hears, every time she spoke she'd be calling out God's mercy.
      3. They go back
    7. When God can't rule, because we won't let him, He overrules.  (Romans 5:20)
  4. Blessing in spite of disobedience (13 year gap between chapters 16 and 17)
    1. Sarai is 90 years old, Abram is 99, and the son of promise is not yet born.
    2. El Shaddai - Almighty God, God the most sufficient - first mention
      1. This name for God is used more in Job than anywhere else in the Bible
      2. Acadian word means mountain or breast, represents the earth flexing its muscle
      3. God is saying "I'm strong, you're weak, I can do what no other can do"
    3. Walk before me and be blameless
      1. When you are being watched you act differently, know I am watching you
      2. Reminder because of Abram's history
        1. He walked before his family and went to Haran for 15 years
        2. He walked before his servants and  went into Egypt
        3. He walked before his wife and went into Hagar
    4. A new walk with God can begin at any age.
    5. Abram humbled himself before the Lord
  5. Abraham
    1. Abram means exalted father,
      1. but he had no children, must have been embarrassing
      2. When Ishmael was born he may have felt better about his name
    2. Abraham means Father of a multitude
      1. Named that before he fulfilled the promise
      2. God declares His purpose before he makes it happen
      3. Stretches the faith of Abraham
  6. Covenant Established
    1. Land
      1. The borders of the land given equaled 300,000 square miles
      2. Israel never occupied it all
      3. At their peak they occupied 30,000 square miles under Solomon
      4. What God promised they only took a tenth
      5. God promised every place your foot walks, they didn't believe God for all of it.
      6. What about the promises God has made you? What portion of his promises do you enjoy?
      7. Israel will possess all of the land during the millennium.
    2. Posterity
      1. Nations - plural
      2. 13.3 million Jews
      3. 22 Arab nations (300+ million people)
      4. 5% of the Earth's population today traces heritage back to Abraham.
    3. Circumcision
      1. Sign of the covenant
      2. Had been practiced in the Middle East, Egypt, Rome
      3. Social practice given a spiritual meaning, God redeems it (like baptism)
      4. Outward sign of covenant
        1. Noah and the rainbow
        2. Moses and the Sabbath
        3. Church and baptism
        4. Abraham and circumcision
      5. Eighth day, perfect day because of clotting of the blood
      6. The symbol
        1. Cutting of  the flesh life which dominates
        2. Flesh of what gives life is cut
        3. I'll live in the Spirit, not in the flesh
      7. Jews turned it from a symbol to a sacrament, supposed to be inward not outward Deuteronomy 10
  7. Sarah
    1. Sarai means domineering and contentious
    2. Sarah means princess
    3. God promises the son through her
      1. Abraham believes him, excited
      2. Reality brings him back down to earth,  and he says take Ishmael, let him live before you.
        1. The covenant must be thru the son of promise not the son of flesh
        2. Do we say "bless my thing"
        3. The death of your vision is sometimes required.
  8. Two Kinds of Covenant
    1. Conditional - Bilateral
      1. God does His part, man does his part
      2. Edenic
      3. Law of Moses Deuteronomy 28-30
      4. Their occupation of the land is conditional  (captivity, Diaspora, Is 11:11)
    2. Unconditional - Unilateral
      1. Dependant on God alone
      2. This covenant with Abraham, for the land and for the people
      3. The land is theirs unconditionally

Figures Referenced: Benjamin Franklin, Victor Hugo, George MacDonald
Cross References: Deuteronomy 10, 28-30,  Proverbs 3:5,6, Romans 5:20, Galatians 3
Hebrew Terms: El Shaddai (Almighty One)
Greek Terms: Diaspora (dispersion of the Jews to countries after the Babylonian captivity)

Topic: God's Faithfulness

Keywords: Abram, Abraham, Sarah, Sarai, Ishmael, covenant, Hagar, disobedience, Israel, El Shaddai, trust

 


 

SERIES: Godprint: The Life of Abraham
MESSAGE: Genesis 18
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 18
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4177

MESSAGE SUMMARY
Abraham experienced trials and failures and yet the Bible refers to him as the friend of God. As we examine Genesis 18 we'll witness Abraham's encounter with three heavenly visitors and gain further insight into his relationship with the Lord. Let's explore the privileges and expectations of those who desire a friendship with God as we study the life of Abraham.

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Introduction - Abram to Abraham
    1. Abraham's Calling Genesis 11
    2. Abraham's Carnality Genesis 12
    3. Abraham's Courage Genesis 14
    4. Abraham's Communions Genesis 14
    5. Abraham's Covenant Genesis 15
    6. Abraham's Compromise Genesis 16
    7. Abraham's Circumcision Genesis 17
  2. Contrast between Abraham and Lot
    1. Abraham
      1. Blessed
      2. Blessing
      3. Gained God's promises (land and descendants)
    2. Lot
      1. Lost his home, wife, children, everything
    3. Application
      1. Put first things first and the second things will be thrown in
      2. Seek first the kingdom of God
  3. Abraham a friend to God
    1. Three unusual visitors (the Lord and 2 angels)
    2. We are Jesus friends when we obey him  John 15:14-15
    3. The Bible refers to Abraham as the friend of God 3 times
      1. 2 Chronicles 20, James 2:23
      2. God Himself refers to Abraham as friend in Isaiah 41:8
  4. How to be a friend of God
    1. Spontaneity 18:1
      1. Heat of the day, people resting, and the Lord appeared
      2. God can suddenly change directions in your life
      3. The 3 men
        1. Trinity (view of the Church of England)
        2. Best to see this as the Lord and two angels
      4. Be flexible
    2. Humility
      1. Abraham was a sheik, but he bowed down - shachah - bow down
      2. In God's presence I'm not important (who He is, who we are) Isaiah 6
      3. Abraham called him my Lord, Adonai
    3. Ministry
      1. Personally
        1.  Abraham didn't have his servants do the work, he did it personally
        2. Every Christian has a ministry
        3. Serving God's people is serving Him
      2. Immediately (Abraham was hot, old, and had servants, but he served)
      3. Generously
        1. Give the best
        2. Don't give leftovers
        3. Serving God costs something

(Sarah laughed that the visitors said she would have a child.  God rebuked her.  When Abraham laughed God didn't rebuke him.  They were different types of laughter.)

    1. Conformity
      1. Abraham believed God, walked in God's will
      2. You are a friend if you do whatever Jesus commands you John 15
  1. Is there anything too hard for the Lord?
    1. Of course not!
    2. When you pray, remember who you are praying to!
  2. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
    1. Sodom
      1. Mentioned 6 times in the Old Testament, and 4 times in the New Testament
      2. Byword for sexual perversion
    2. Abraham's influence
      1. His family
        1. Children spend 16% of their time in school, 1% in church, 83% at home
        2. We are called to set an example
      2. The world
    3. Outcry against Sodom
      1. God responds to the outcry
      2. Lot
        1. Could have been making the outcry
        2. Hebrews refers to him as righteous
      3. God is not reactive
        1. He makes personal investigation
        2. His judgment is never unrighteous
        3. God acts in judgment when iniquity is full

(The sin of Sodom Ezekiel 16:49 pride, abundance of food, abundance of idleness, didn't care for the poor)

  1. Intercession
    1. Abraham is not backing God into a corner
    2. God's plan was to spare the righteous
    3. Prayer is not my will in heaven, it's God's will on earth
    4. Christlike to pray
    5. Why did he stop at 10?  Thinking of Lot and his family
    6. Lot was sitting in the gate, a leader, walking in the way of the ungodly

Hebrew terms: shachah (bowed), Adonai (Lord, master)

Figures Referenced: C.S. Lewis, Max Lucado, Mark Twain, Warren Wiersbe

Cross References: 2 Chronicles 20, Psalm 1, Isaiah 41:8, Ezekiel 16:49, John 15:14, 15, James 2:23

Topic: Friendship with God

Keywords: Friend, friendship, Abraham, theophany, Sodom, Gomorrah, prayer, intercession, Lot, laughter, Sarah

 


 

SERIES: Godprint: The Life of Abraham
MESSAGE: Genesis 19
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 19
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4178

MESSAGE SUMMARY
The topic of God's judgment makes some people squirm. Believing that God is loving, gracious, merciful and kind often comes easier than viewing Him as Judge. As we investigate the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah we'll come to terms with the necessity of His judgment. We'll also be reminded that God is in the business of redemption, and that He dealt with the sin of those who believe at the cross of Calvary.

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Introduction
    1. God is patient, slow to anger
    2. God's judgment
      1. God is righteous, everything he does is always right (Genesis 18:25)
      2. God's judgment is essential
      3. To never judge would be amoral and unjust
    3. Attributes of God
      1. Love mentioned 360 times
      2. Grace mentioned 148 times
      3. Mercy mentioned 282 times
      4. Peace mentioned 397 times
      5. Judge mentioned 188 times, judgment 190 times, judgments 122 times (over 500 references to God's judgment)
      6. Jesus used the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as an illustration of judgment Luke 17:22-30
  2. Lot
    1. Illustrates a worldly, half-hearted believer
    2. His downward steps
      1. Looked longingly at Sodom Genesis 13:10
      2. Chose to be near Sodom Genesis 13:11
      3. Moved closer to Sodom Genesis 13:12
      4. Moved into Sodom Genesis 14:12
      5. In a leadership position in Sodom Genesis 19:1
    3. Lot's house (first mention of house)
      1. Abraham - pilgrim, tent, heavenly minded Hebrews 11
      2. Lot - citizen, house, focused on earthly things
  3. The Wickedness of Sodom
    1. Yadha - in context refers to sexual knowledge
    2. Old Testament condemns homosexuality
    3. New Testament homosexuality is used as an example of the downward spiral of culture
    4. Practicing homosexuals don't consider it a sin
      1. Some claim to be Christian
      2. Reinterpret Scripture
        1. D. Sherwin Bailey - said the sin of Sodom was being inhospitable, claimed that New Testament references had no authority, said that homosexual promiscuity is a sin, but not homosexuality
        2. Troy Perry of the Metropolitan Community Church - claims homosexuality is a gift from God
        3. A straightforward reading of the text is clear, confirms it is a sin
    5. God is in the redemption business
  4. Sodom Takes its Toll on Lot
    1. Lot's daughters had not known a man in a sexual manner
    2. Hospitality was sacred
    3. Lot had lost his moral compass
      1. He offered his daughters to the mob
      2. Calls the people of Sodom "brethren"
    4. Women were degraded in ancient culture
    5. People accused him of judging them
  5. Angels Rescue Lot
    1. Angels are referenced in 34 books of the Bible (17 in Old Testament, 17 in New Testament - 103 references in Old Testament, 165 references in New Testament)
    2. God's secret agents - Billy Graham
    3. Ministering spirits - Hebrews
    4. Angels are invisible, but sometimes clothed with bodies so they can interact with them i.e. Garden of Eden, Abraham's dinner guests (Genesis 18)
    5. Angelic power (2 Kings 18)
    6. Get out of town!
    7. Escape to Zoar
  6. God Differentiates in Judgment Between the Godly and the Ungodly
    1. Flood - saved the 8
    2. Hailstones on the Amorites (Joshua 10)
    3. Those marked are spared (Ezekiel 9)
    4. 144,000 believing Jews (Revelation 7)
    5. Rapture of the church
    6. God doesn't destroy the righteous (2 Peter 2)
  7. Judgment
    1. Lot's wife looked back
    2. Abraham may have thought 10 righteous was enough
    3. God still delivered the righteous out of the city, though he didn't spare the city
    4. Melvin Kyle cites geological evidence of the destruction
  8. Sin Persists
    1. Lot's daughter's moral compass was awry
    2. Lot drunk
    3. His daughter's lay with him
    4. Moabites & Ammonites
      1. Archenemies of Israel
      2. Molech is one of their gods
      3. Carnal seduction of Israel (Numbers 25)
  9. Application
    1. Our decisions are significant
    2. God's actions are always right
      1. Sodom's judgment is a preview of future judgment
      2. We don't have to go through the future judgment
      3. Stand in Christ!
Hebrew terms: Yadha - to know
Figures Referenced: D. Sherwin Bailey, Troy Perry, Billy Graham, Melvin Kyle
Cross References: Genesis 13:10-12, Genesis 14:12, Genesis 18:25, Numbers 25, Joshua 10,  2 Kings 18, Ezekiel 9, Luke 17:22-30, Hebrews 11, 2 Peter 2, Revelation 7

Topic: God's Judgment

Keywords: Sodom, Gomorrah, homosexuality, judgment, wicked, angels

 


 

SERIES: Godprint: The Life of Abraham
MESSAGE: Genesis 20:1-21:8
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 20:1-21:8
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4179

MESSAGE SUMMARY
As believers we are new creations in Christ, however, we still carry around our old nature; the battle between the spirit and the flesh is a struggle for all of us. As we consider the life of Abraham, we see him fall once again into a familiar sin. The consequences of his choices are damaging, hurting others and ruining his testimony before unbelievers. But as we'll see in our text, God is faithful, and causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Repetition of Previous Sin
    1. Abraham was a believer
    2. He had a new life with an old nature
      1. Battle between the spirit and the flesh
      2. Struggle for all believers
      3. We want to serve the Lord
      4. We want to serve ourselves
  2. Abraham - Pilgrim and Worshiper (20:1)
    1. Journeyed to the south
    2. By faith
    3. Went to Gerar
      1. Just over the border
      2. Out of the promised land
      3. Enemy territory
        1. Living in fear
        2. Lies
    4. We are supposed to flee temptation
  3. Abraham Lies (vs. 2)
    1. Sarah is my sister
    2. She is 90 years old, but beautiful
    3. Customary to give women to form an alliance
  4. But God (vs. 3-6)
    1. Joseph in Egypt "you meant for evil, but God meant for good" - Genesis 50
    2. Ephesians 2
    3. Abraham did a dumb thing, but God came to the rescue
    4. Integrity
      1. First mention (from the lips of a Philistine)
      2. If you are a person of integrity, God will keep you from further plunging into sins that destroy families
      3. If you lack integrity you are in danger of going into areas that destroy
    5. The sin was primarily against God (adultery)
      1. God invented marriage
      2. God is always looking
  5. Abraham a Prophet (vs. 7-10)
    1. First mention
    2. Abraham was disobedient, but still God's prophet
      1. When we sin we can still be used by God
      2. Repercussions remain (Proverbs 13)
      3. God doesn't allow His children to sin successfully - Charles H. Spurgeon
      4. When believers stumble, we are like murky springs (Proverbs 25)
  6. Thinkers and Prayers (vs. 11)
    1. Abraham thought wrong
    2. Didn't pray, strategized
    3. Assumption is the lowest form of communication
  7. Half Truth (vs. 12)
    1. Technically Sarah was Abraham's half sister
    2. Half truth is a total lie
    3. False witness
      1. Ten commandments
      2. False witness against Jesus was a half truth
      3. Not the information, but the implication
    4. A Pattern of Sin (vs. 13)
      1. Abraham wasn't pressured, didn't panic, but he planned
      2. When a believer falls it is often where he's previously fallen
  8. Testimony Ruined (vs. 14-18)
    1. Abraham could not preach to Abimelech
    2. Abimelech would not receive from Abraham
    3. We all have someone we've hurt
    4. We can pray
      1. Frees us from bitterness
      2. Blesses them
  9. God Did What He Said (21:1)
    1. 25 years after the promise
    2. Long time between promise and fulfillment (vs. 2)
      1. More dramatic
      2. Walk by faith
      3. God's delays are not denials
  10. Isaac (vs. 3-7)
    1. Hebrew Yitzach, means laughter
    2. Circumcised the eighth day
    3. Abraham 100 years old, impossible
    4. Nothing is too hard for the Lord
    5. Brought laughter to the home
      1. Children laugh 150 times a day
      2. Adults laugh 15 times a day
      3. Laughter releases chemicals that elevate mood and are natural painkillers
  11. Isaac weaned (vs. 8)
    1. Three years old
    2. No longer dependant on milk, but solid food
    3. Spiritual parallel (Hebrews 5)
      1. As we mature we don't need to be spoon fed
      2. Ready for solid foods
    4. Celebration
Hebrew Terms: Yitzach (laughter)
Figures Referenced: Charles H. Spurgeon
Cross References: Genesis 50, Proverbs 13, 25, Romans 8:28-29, Ephesians 2, Hebrews 5

Topic: Abraham's Sin

Keywords: Abraham, Sarah, Abimelech, lie, prophet, disobedience, testimony, prayer


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