Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to Growing in Grace with Pastor Victor Morrison. This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas. We are praying that God will bless you as you listen to this message.
Speaker: If you would like additional information on worship times and ministries at FBC Columbus, you can find out more at our website, fbccolumbustx.org. And now, take your copy of God's timeless Word as Pastor Victor gives today's message.
Speaker: Welcome back to Growing in Grace. I'm Victor Morson. I'm the pastor at First Baptist Church in Columbus, Texas, and I'm so glad you're listening today. Today, I want us to look at Genesis chapter 18, verses 1 through 15.
Speaker: Abraham learned a spiritual lesson in Genesis 18, verses 1 through 15. He learned that God can solve an impossible problem.
Speaker: Romans chapter 4 actually gives more specifics on Abraham's faith walk. But in this chapter of Genesis, Abraham will hear the Lord ask an important question.
Speaker: I think a question that needs to be answered at certain times in a person's life. Namely, is anything important? too hard for the Lord? You're gonna hear that question asked in Genesis 18, verse 14.
Speaker: This same question was presented to the prophet Jeremiah. Behold, I'm the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? Is what he asked in Jeremiah 32, 27.
Speaker: Jeremiah earlier had already made a public profession of his faith with these words, Ah, Lord God, it is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm.
Speaker: Nothing is too hard for you. Wow. Did he really mean it? I think that god that's what God was asking. The angel Gabriel told Mary, for nothing will be impossible with God.
Speaker: Luke 1.37, Jesus also reminded his disciples, with man, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible.
Speaker: Matthew 19.26, Matthew 19.26, nineteen twenty six The hymn, Praise to the Lord the Almighty, was written by the German composer, Joachim Neander, in the 1600s, and included this thought-provoking line, Ponder anew what the Almighty can do if with His love He befriends thee.
Speaker: That's a great question, isn't it? What could the Almighty do in your life today? The good news is that the Lord left the formula for how He solves impossible problems in this passage.
Speaker: We'll learn from this passage seven faith factors that are necessary in solving an equation that is simply out of reach for man, but not out of reach for the Lord God, the Almighty.
Speaker: So let's get started. You know, when I read verses one and two, I thought about the first faith factor, and that is the observation factor. And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
Speaker: He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth.
Speaker: Wow. So let's just stop right there. You know, there's a a man who was a theologian, pastor, a spiritually minded man named J. Oswald Sanders.
Speaker: he He really was focused on those words. He lifted up his eyes and looked And what he wrote was, it appears that in Old Testament times, God came in the form of a man, while in the incarnation, he actually became a man.
Speaker: Such a difference, right? So whenever Abraham observes these three men, one of those three men was the Lord. Now, I don't know where you stand theologically in your interpretation of an earlier chapter in Genesis 14, but there was someone named Melchizedek.
Speaker: And some people believe this was what's called a theophany. God was appearing, appearing, and he comes in the form of a man, but he's not a man, but he comes in the form of a man.
Speaker: In Hebrews 7, verse 3, tells us some incredible things about that man, Melchizedek. It says in Hebrews 7, verse 3, he is without father or mother.
Speaker: How did that happen? He's without father or mother or genealogy. Having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling...
Speaker: the Son of God, he continues a priest forever. Oh my goodness. ah That's a discussion for another day. But here's the thing I wanna just bring up.
Speaker: Have you observed that God is actually alive and in your life, that God is active in your life, that God is present in your life? You know, the Bible records several times that God spoke to Abraham.
Speaker: However, five times when he spoke to Abraham, it says he also appeared to Abraham. The God of glory appeared to our father Abram when he was in Mesopotamia, is what Acts 7-2 says. Genesis 12-7 says something similar. Then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to your offspring, I will give this land.
Speaker: In Genesis 17-1, it records the Lord appeared to Abram. And then again in Genesis 18, one, we read, the Lord appeared to Abraham.
Speaker: Wow, and now here we are once again in chapter 18, verse one, and the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. Wow, I think first we have to realize that whether we can actually see him or not,
Speaker: that spiritually God's with us. Have you observed that God is real? He's a person. So that's the first thing. The second thing I noticed in verses three through eight is what I would call the offering factor.
Speaker: The offering factor. Abraham acknowledges one of these three visitors and five times in this chapter, he calls him Lord.
Speaker: In Hebrew, it's the word Adonai. Adonai. See, Abraham refers to himself as this Lord's servant. He said, Adonai, I am your servant in verses three and five.
Speaker: And so what does he do? He has this inner compulsion to offer him something, to give him an offering. And so the measure that was equal to about seven US quarts is called a sia, but it's three sia's, which would be 21 quarts of flour.
Speaker: far more than would be needed to feed even three very hungry men. Thus what's happening, Abraham, he knows who this is. He realized this man is not just a man, this is the Lord, so he spares no expense. The question is, what about us?
Speaker: What about you? Would you be willing to spare no expense to express to the Lord how you want to honor Him? You see, his knowledge of the nature of his visitors is shown also by the fact that he quickly, it says, verse 3, verse 6, verse 7, he quickly moved into action to serve them and apparently did not consider himself worthy to eat with them once the meal was ready.
Speaker: And he stood by and he watched while they ate. Do you see what he's doing? This is the Lord. I want to give him my best. I want to be active and sharp.
Speaker: Do you ever feel like you want to offer something to God? There's something else in verses 6 and 7 and 8. I would call it the oneness factor.
Speaker: The Lord was able to do the impossible in their midst because of the humility and the unity. that he observed in Abraham, Sarah, and their staff.
Speaker: What would have happened if Abraham would have said, hey, I wanna make something for these three men, and they would have said, no, we're too busy. We haven't got time to make them anything.
Speaker: What if they would have all been at odds? I don't think things would have happened like they did. See, the reason Abraham and Sarah were able to give the Lord their best,
Speaker: rather than their leftovers, was because they effectively worked together as one. Do you believe that oneness invites the Lord's blessing and division can sort of stifle the Lord's blessing?
Speaker: I do. Sometime I encourage you to read Psalm 133, verses one through three. Sometime read Ecclesiastes 4.12 and John 17.21.
Speaker: There's something that really gets God's attention whenever ah people come together as one. But let's go to the fourth faith factor in verses nine through 10.
Speaker: We often perceive our problems as obstacles. That's normal. That's just the way we we do as humans. We normally say, oh boy, here's a problem I'm facing. What an obstacle that's keeping me back from moving forward.
Speaker: But what would happen if we learn to view our difficulties as opportunities for God? In verses 9 through 10, the Lord makes this couple a promise that they will have a son by that time next year.
Speaker: Whoa. You know, verses 9 and 10 is what I would call The opportunity factor. The promise was already given in Genesis 17 verses 15 to 21.
Speaker: See, Abraham knows that God wants to give him a child. And so they've not been able to have the child by Sarah. And so there's definitely this this problem that's in their lives. So why don't we go ahead and include it, verses 11 through 13.
Speaker: Let's just look at the obstacles. Why don't we call it the obstacle factor? Okay, we had the opportunity factor. Yes, we do have problems, but this is an opportunity for God. But what about the obstacles?
Speaker: Should we even consider them? Do we even acknowledge them? Well, Scripture does in verses 11 through 13. Abraham and Sarah's faith response was challenging when considering their age and their physical weakness.
Speaker: This was why Sarah laughed when she overheard the promise of bearing a child. Let me read those verses whenever we're in verses 11 through 13.
Speaker: Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "'After I am worn out and my Lord is old, shall I have pleasure?' The Lord said to Abraham, "'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "'Shall I indeed bear a child now that I am old?'' Whoa." I think that leads us naturally into another faith factor, and that is the omnipotence factor.
Speaker: The omnipotence factor. Here we go in verse 14. This is the main verse. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Whenever the Lord heard Sarah laugh, that was his response.
Speaker: Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time, I will return to you about this time next year. And Sarah shall have a son. What? Oh, man, oh, man. It's like God's incredible power is what they're discussing here.
Speaker: You know, whenever you get over into ah Romans, in Romans ah chapter, I think it's five, that's a no, Romans chapter four, rather. Romans chapter four, verses 13, all the way to the end of Romans four, there are so many principles, if you will, that are there. Like, for example, in verse 16, that is why it depends on faith in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring, not only to the adherent of the law, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, I've made you
Speaker: the father of many nations, in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Speaker: In hope, he believed against hope that he should become the father of many nations as he had been told. So shall your offspring be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead since he was about 100 years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
Speaker: No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
Speaker: So you see, the issue at stake is the omnipotence factor. Now, I'm not saying that we should go through life in whatever we want. We just start naming it and claiming it and saying, God's got power.
Speaker: there's There's sort of like um a diagram that's in my head that has been put there, I think, by the Lord as I've read through the scriptures over and over again. Each year I read through the scriptures and I would put on one side of the the equation, I would put the power of God.
Speaker: Are you convinced that God can do anything? On the other side of that equation, we need something balancing that out. And that is not only the power of God on that side, why don't we place the plan of God?
Speaker: You see, just because God is powerful enough to remove the problems, to do something fresh and new that we've not even anticipated, Well, it may not be in his plan to remove that problem.
Speaker: So we have to be so convinced of both simultaneously at the same time so that we say, okay, I have an obstacle in my life. I believe this obstacle is nothing more than an opportunity for God to use his omnipotence, his power to remove this obstacle.
Speaker: So let's say that a husband and his wife, just like Abraham and Sarah, let's say that they're facing the obstacle. They're saying it's an opportunity. So they're saying, why don't we together give this to the Lord?
Speaker: And so even though there's oneness, even though they're offering their lives to the Lord, I just want you to know we cannot... change the plan of God, that eternal plan of why we've been created.
Speaker: And so that's one thing that I just want you to realize. I don't want you to misunderstand what I'm saying. I want you to know, though, that I am absolutely convinced after walking with the Lord for 47 years to say, okay, Lord, i've I'm convinced that that you have all the power and you can do anything you want, anytime you want.
Speaker: But I'm also convinced that God has a plan for me and something that he has the power to do, he may not choose to do it. And the reason he's not going to choose to display his power to do that thing is because it's not in his plan.
Speaker: It's not a cop-out. All I'm saying you to you is both things are equally true. Right? equally true. Just like, well, let's say the sovereignty of God and the free will of man.
Speaker: Both of those two things are equally true. You can see them in the scriptures. I like what ah Charles Haddon Spurgeon said one time about those two things. He said, I never i never try to reconcile those who are already friends. You see, God's sovereignty and his gift to mankind of a free will, those are not at odds.
Speaker: Those are definitely equal ah in God's sight. God has given both of those. One is a gift, ah and the other one is his freedom to do what he wants. And so I have no problem whatsoever with either one of those things. Neither do I have a problem with God's being able to do anything he wants.
Speaker: And yet at the same time, he has a plan. And I don't always understand the plan. But that leads me to the final faith factor that we need to realize in this equation. If we want to see God do that which is impossible for us, but not impossible for him.
Speaker: That is the omniscience factor, the omniscience factor. You see, this passage gives us clues, not just about God's incredible strength, but also regarding his incredible awareness.
Speaker: Does God know all of these things that are happening in our lives? Does he know how much you or I want this or want that in our lives? Oh, yes, he does.
Speaker: For example, he already knew where Sarah was in verse 9, didn't he? When he says, where is Sarah, your wife? And he said, she's in the tent.
Speaker: Now, did the Lord not know where Sarah was? Oh, he knew. Believe me, trust me, he knew. He already knew who Sarah was without a personal introduction from Abraham.
Speaker: He also knew how she responded to his promise of a child and what she had uttered under her breath. Since she didn't actually laugh out loud, Sarah denied that she had laughed.
Speaker: But once again, the Lord knew what she did and said, no, but you did laugh. There's a saying that sometimes I've heard my daughters say before, busted. yeah It means you got caught.
Speaker: And so when Sarah laughs, she doesn't laugh out loud. She laughs privately under her breath, trying to you know suppress it and so forth.
Speaker: It doesn't matter because God, he can hear. He can hear our thoughts. He knows the intentions of our hearts. And so nothing is hidden from him.
Speaker: You know, David knew that the Lord is aware of all things because of what he was inspired to write in Psalm 139, verses 1, 2, 4, 6.
Speaker: If you were to read that wonderful chapter, then you would see God's omniscience so clearly. He says in there, for example, "'O Lord, you have searched me and known me.'" Isn't that incredible?
Speaker: and when i rise up you discern my thoughts from afar even before a word is on my tongue behold o lord you know altogether such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high i cannot attain it isn't that incredible I mean, God knows us even when we're in our mother's womb. He knows us before we were even in our mother's womb.
Speaker: Do you know that when you were still in your mother's womb, the Lord already set the number of days that are appointed for you, for me, for each one of us.
Speaker: No wonder the writer of Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 13, after he describes how powerful God's word is, it's living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword and so forth.
Speaker: Right after Hebrews 4.12, in Hebrews 4.13, here's what the writer was inspired by the Holy Spirit to record. And no creature,
Speaker: is hidden from his sight but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account wow Yeah, let's go back over this. I mean, God knows. He is aware.
Speaker: We need to realize that He can do anything He wants because He already knows that that need exists. He already knows the limited resources, let's say, that we have, that our doctor has, that our family has. So He already knows all the limited resources.
Speaker: But even though He knows all that, I want you to know he's not limited to those things that are in your life, those resources that you and your family, the doctor and so forth.
Speaker: No, he can do anything he wants. like is Like the question we looked at earlier, is there anything too hard for the Lord?
Speaker: i mean, we need to come to grips with this. Is anything too hard for the Lord? So we've got to consider, okay, the omnipotence factor, the answer to that question is, no, there's nothing too hard for him.
Speaker: And if there's an obstacle in front of me, then that obstacle may very well be an opportunity. Rather than seeing it like ah a barrier that you see on a road that's closed, rather than seeing a barrier a roadblock,
Speaker: Why don't you see it more like, well, this is like a bridge. This is like a platform for God to display his glory, for God to show what he can do.
Speaker: So God has allowed this in my life. And if we will all get on the same page and be one together as putting this before the Lord, there is no telling what God will do in answer.
Speaker: So what we have to do is we have to offer Him our gifts, all that He has given to us in our lives. And the main thing He wants, the main thing He wants from us is our hearts.
Speaker: I'm glad whenever I get the opportunity every month to give tithes and offerings to the Lord. But you know what? God doesn't just want 10% or a tithe of my income.
Speaker: God wants much more. God wants much more. He wants me to offer to him my life. Have you ever offered to the Lord your life? Well, maybe you'd say, no, I wasn't even really aware that he even cares about someone like me.
Speaker: He does care about you. He made you. He loves you. Jesus went to the cross for you. When Jesus was raised from the dead, that's the proof that the Father accepts the substitutionary atonement for you.
Speaker: And that's why you can go to be with the Lord in heaven forever and ever with no end. It's a wonderful opportunity that we have. But the the I guess the place where we started was when Abraham, he opened his eyes, he lifted up his eyes, and he said, "'That right there is the Lord.
Speaker: Come into my house. Come into my tent.'" coming to me. do you know that God is coming to you? Do you know that God said, before he made you, he made a plan.
Speaker: He made a plan that was just for you. And in that plan, he has already decided some of the good works that he would like for you to do along with him, you and the Lord will partner together and he's gonna do great things. And so just learn to look at your life as this equation, as this equation. And so sometimes in the equation, The Lord would have provided already the strength you need, you know the money you need, the connections you need, you know that sort of thing.
Speaker: But here's the here's where I want to prepare you. There's gonna be other times when you're gonna say, I thought God wanted this and I can't do that.
Speaker: I can't reach that high. I can't stretch that far. Well, that's okay because when you have an impossible situation in your life, I want you to say, hey, I know Genesis chapter 18. I know what God did for Abraham.
Speaker: Abraham and Sarah, there is no way they could have had a baby whenever they were that that age. And yet the scriptures tell us it happened.
Speaker: And it only happened because God planned for that to happen. But it also only happened because God was able to make it happen. Abraham and Sarah, they couldn't have made that happen, but God enabled them to do the impossible and to see the impossible.
Speaker: So God's equation for solving the impossible is quite simply laid out for you and for me right here in Genesis 18, verses one through 15. The next time you consider that question, is anything too hard for the Lord?
Speaker: I hope you'll answer it correctly because it could be a test from the Lord to see if you're going to trust him with what only he can do in your life.
Speaker: Let's go to the Father in prayer. Lord, I thank you for those times that you bless us ahead of time. And when we need the money, it's there. When we need something or other, it's there.
Speaker: Whenever we get a bad report on health, then you come through and you help us. That's great. Lord, we just want to always give you thanks for that. But sometimes, sometimes we face something and we just, we simply cannot make it go away. We can't solve it. And so please, oh Lord, our longing of our heart is, would you please help us to remember Genesis 18?
Speaker: That answers the question, is anything too hard for the Lord? And the answer thankfully nothing. No, no, it it honestly is not too hard for the Lord. He can do anything.
Speaker: And so, Lord, help us be convinced of that. Help us be willing to trust you with that. And if you don't take away any particular obstacle or challenge that's in our lives, help us realize that there's another purpose that you have in leaving that there.
Speaker: that it's not about then your power, it's about your plan. And we know from James 1, verses two and four and so forth, that you actually wanna leave some trials in our life so that we do not miss anything that pertains to our growth and development in Christ.
Speaker: So sometimes you're gonna use those hard things and the powerful way you're gonna work is you're gonna make us stronger through what we go through.
Speaker: So I thank you, Lord, for your presence in our lives. It's so incredible to observe the fact that God said he would never leave me nor forsake me.
Speaker: We praise you. We love you. We thank you for first loving us. In Jesus' powerful name we pray, amen. Thank you, friend, for listening. I pray that God will bless you as you go through the rest of this day.
Speaker: This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.
