In The Beginning

At the beginning of a new year, people often look forward to all the things they want to do.  They also use it to look back at the past year, and at all that has been done.  We like to chronicle our accomplishments, and there's no shortage of people telling us how to have new and different lives this year.

But as a new year dawns, the matter of the fact is that most things stay the same.  Even with a big event like a child or marriage or death, life changes but it quickly becomes the new normal.

There's has only been one new beginning in all of time.  And it is chronicled in the book of Genesis, in the very first chapter and verse.


"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"   Genesis 1:1


As we begin a new year, this scripture tells us that whatever happens in this new year, God must be the creator of it, the originator of it.  Over the past year, God has used this church to support missions, send missionaries, conduct outreach, support mission churches, and more.  God was the force in what we did last year, and will be the force for this new year as well.

When you don't know what to do

It must've been a strange experience when Joseph and Mary woke up on the day after Jesus' birth.  The night before had been a big production, with the birth, the angel's songs, and the visit from the shepherd.  

But what were they to do next?  It's a strange and terrifying thing to be left with a newborn baby, let alone when that baby is the Son of God!  When faced with uncertainty, when they didn't know what to do, scripture tells us that Mary and Joseph did what they knew was right.  

When we are faced in the new year with those situations where we don't know what to do, Mary and Joseph give us the example.  We are to obey the commands of God, we are to stay a part of the family of God, and remember the sacrifices that God makes for us.  

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS."  Luke 2

The Long Wait

In his book The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, CS Lewis' characters step through a magical wardrobe that takes to a world where it is always winter, but never Christmas.  Through a series of adventures, Christmas comes to Narnia.  But Lewis hits on an important topic about Christmas.  The wait is worth it only because of the payoff at the end.  Nobody likes to wait, especially at Christmas time.

But the bible shows us that since the beginning of time, the whole world has been waiting for it's rescue, has been waiting for it's redeemer.

Genesis 3:15 gives us the first promise of one who is to come, and the whole Old Testament speaks of his coming.  Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, and more are all pictures and promises of the one who is to come. The prophets speak of him, the patriarchs are shadows of the one who is to come. The drum is beat consistently throughout the Old Testament.  He's coming, He's coming, He's coming.

And in the beginning pages of the New Testament, finally the good news comes!  He's Here!

Behold I bring good tidings of great joy which shall be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you, you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

We now wait for Christ's return.  This holiday season, don't waste the wait!  Let it bring you towards Christ as we celebrate His birth and wait for His return!   

Hold fast the word of life

If you step outside on a clear night, you can see light from the moon and stars.  The moon is about 238,900 miles away, according to google.  And the closest star is 4.24 light years away.


Put another way, that is one very bright light!  Paul says thats the way that Christians are to stand out in a dark world, as stars, as lights, guiding the way.  By working out our salvation with fear and trembling, or working out what God has worked in, we do this.  We point people to Christ by being sanctified and becoming more like Christ.


He gives several ways to do that, like doing all things without grumbling, but the last way he tells us to do it is to hold forth the word of life.  By holding out God's word, it is not only a light to us, but to others as well.

Phl 2:12-16 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

No Grumbling or Complaining

The Bible is God's words to us.  Living and active, it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training.

But sometimes it can be hard to read.  Not hard to understand, but difficult to listen to and take to heart.

As Paul writes to the church at Philippi, he has instructed them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.  That is, they are to work out what God has already worked in them.  This is the life of a Christian.  God works salvation in us, justifying us.  Then we are to sanctify ourselves, working out the new life that has come within us.  But how are we to do that?

What Paul writes in Philippians 2:14-16 is one of those passages that is hard to take to heart, because it cuts against the very way we live.  But Paul instructs us to do all things without grumbling or complaining. This is one of the very first ways that a Christian is to work out their new life. And by doing so, they not only honor God, but bring others to Him through your witness.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. - Phl 2:14-16 NASB

Obedient Unto Death

Do you think the President vacuums his own floors?  Do you think the Queen of England cleans her bathroom?  There are some things that we deem as beneath certain people.  Because of their importance, their job, their status in life, there are things that they just don't have time to do.  

In one of the most beautiful and descriptive passages of Jesus in all of the Bible, Paul reminds us of all that Christ did for us, and how he sets an example for us to follow.  Paul instructs us to have the same attitude that Jesus had.  When Christ came to earth, he certainly did things that are below the King of Kings!

Although equal with God, Jesus did not consider it his right to hold onto his divine prerogative, but instead put that aside to become a man on earth.  But as if that were not far enough for Jesus to stoop, he became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Through his selflessness, Christ not only purchased our salvation, but set for us the ultimate example to follow in thinking of others as higher than ourselves.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Phl 2:5-11 NASB

Perform Your Duties as Citizens of Heaven

Imagine you arrive at work at school only to meet ssomeonenew there.  It's their first day, and as you begin to talk, you ask them where they are from.  

"Beverly Hills", they say.  Does that change the way that you expect them to act?  

What if they say somewhere else?  "Toad Suck, AR"  Ravia, Milburn, OKC, Dallas, London.  We expect people from certain places to act a certain way.  Being from a certain place comes with certain habits, patterns, and more.

What if the person you met said they were a Christian?  How then would you expect them to act? 

In the book of Philippians, Paul says that it's our duty as Christians, our right, our responsibility to act in a certain way.  He says we are to act worthy of the Gospel.

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, - Phl 1:27-29 NASB

How should you act as Christian?  Live lives that are worthy of the Gospel.  LIve as citizens of heaven.  

To Live is Christ

Where do you go to find joy in life?  We often think that if circumstances changed, if things were different that we would be more happy.  We think a different life would be better than ours.  If anyone had reason to think that it was the Apostle Paul!  He wrote the letter to the church at Philippi from prison, yet reminds us that for him nothing was more important than Christ.

Undoubtedly Paul had things he still wished to do, and places he wanted to go.  But stuck in prison and facing death, He shows what a life based on the most important thing looks like.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Phil 1:21

Paul is saying "Nothing I leave on earth undone is more important than being with Christ"

Can you say that with him?

The Most Important Thing

If I were to ask you to name the most important thing in your life, most of our minds jump immediately to a person.  A name or a face fills our mind, and probably takes most of our time during the day.  We all have important things that take our time.  Family, jobs, hobbies, duties and more pull at us from every direction.  But we constantly have to choose, to prioritize, what the most important thing is.

The Apostle Paul had many important things in his life, but he knew that undoubtedly that the Gospel was more important than all the others.  He tells these people who are facing suffering that they must focus on the most important thing:  the Gospel!

The gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, is the one thing that will not will not change in this world.  All other things will rust, rot, or fade, but the glorious news of Christ's death and resurrection will never disappoint.

 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.  Phil 1:12-14

Why do bad things happen?

Everyone like to have the answer when asked a question.  It makes us feel smart, and wise, and in charge to have all the answers. But often life throws things at us that we don't have the answers for.  And no question perhaps goes unanswered more than the age old one:

Why do bad things happen?

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi from prison, and was faced with addressing this question.  He assures them that his suffering would be used to further the Gospel.

Whatever the case is, we must know that God loves us.  Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones summed it up this way.

"Whatever else may or may not be explanation of all these things that are happening to me, they are not in any way to be explained by the fact that God does not love me, or that God is acting in a manner that is inconsistent with love.  That is the thing that matters"  D Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Philippians 1:12 -Now then I want you to know brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.  

Love and Knowledge

Love is blind, or so the world tells us.  If you really love someone, you become blind to their faults and foibles, and cannot see them for who they really are.

But when Paul prays for the church at Philippi, he prays for their love to grow in knowledge and discernment for God, and for each other.

God knows us fully, and still loves us!  There is nothing you have done that has made God regret giving His Son for you!  And as we grow in love towards God, we grow in discernment.  Discernment is the act of thinking biblically about life, and putting everything in our life up to the test of scripture.  As we love someone, we learn to act in ways that please them.  This is Pauls prayer for the church, and for ours as well.

For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. - Phl 1:8-11 NASB

He Who Began the Work Will Finish It!

Paul is thankful for the people at Philippi, and he writes the book of Philippians to encourage them.  He wants to remind them that God is working for them, caring for them.   Paul found great joy and encouragement in the work of God, and sought to share it with others.

A church should be a place where we share encouragement with others, where we share the love of God with everyone.  Church is a place for people to give and receive.  We are to conduits of the love of God and share with others.


Another encouragement Paul shares is that God is still working in their lives.  It can become difficult in dark circumstances to see where God is working. But God started the work in us, and will not stop until the work is done!

How is God working in your life now?  Look around and see!


Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; - Phl 1:1-10 NASB

Saints In Christ, At Philippi

What do you expect to see when you come to church Sunday morning?  Family, friends, a full pot of coffee, or your favorite type of donuts are all something you might see at First Baptist Tishomingo.

But in Pauls letter to the church at Philippi, Paul tells we will something we might not expect.  Saints.  That's Pauls opening words in the book of Philippians, which we will start studying this Sunday.  

Saints conjures up all sorts of images of men in robes, white hair, and halos.  Or of women dressed simply who make great sacrifices for the world.  But Paul tells us that we are all saints, or literally "holy ones"  The body of Christ is made up of saints.  Not because of what we have done, but because of what God has done for us.  

You can find saints anywhere that you find people who have committed their lives to Christ and been cleansed by His blood.  Even in Tishomingo!

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:1-8

Psalm 32

In Psalms 32 David recounts how God has worked in his life.  Many of us in looking back over our lives tend to only hit the high parts.  We lift ourselves up and embellish the good parts and gloss over the bad parts.  

But the beautiful thing about David and the Psalms is that they expose all the parts of the human life.  And Psalms 32 is a perfect example of it.  

A Psalm of David. A Maskil. How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. - Psa 32:1-11 NASB

For many of us, our sin drives us away from God.  But David, unlike others, does not hide from his sin.  And when he found sin in his life, instead of fleeing from God, he ran to God in prayer.  

David's sin was great, but he knew that God's grace was greater.  When he kept in his sin, it caught up to him physically. Sin affects us mentally and physically, and spiritually as well.

 Sin, when not confessed is a hindrance to prayer

David's prayer then created in him a desire to pray more.  Spending time in conversation with God created in David a hunger for more prayer.  When we realize who God is, and the chance we have to pray to him, we want to do it more and more.

There's nothing that will press the soul more to seek after God, and to cry for pardon, than to understand the willingness in the heart of God to save sinners.   - John Bunyan

The Woman at the Well

In John 4 lies one of the most famous encounters that Jesus has in all of scripture.  On his journey through Samaria Jesus sits down with a woman at a well.  His kindness to her and her change is an example for all of us to follow.

But to me, out of all the amazing things the Bible talks about, one of them is right there in John 4

1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. - Jhn 4:1-8 

Did you catch that?  The disciples and Jesus were on a long journey, probably 50 miles or more to Galilee.  And Jesus sat down, because he was tired from walking.  Jesus!  This amazes me that this man who could walk on water, feed 5,000 and bring the dead back to life.  He sat down because He was tired.

I don't know about you, but I get tired on mission for God as well.  Not tired of the mission, but tired from the mission.  And that's okay!  I find comfort in the fact that Jesus was physically worn out from the journey.  

Our mission from God is difficult, and will make us weary. But the mission of God must always be done in the strength of God.  For without His strength, our works will fail.  

The Forbidden Plan

After Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, he quickly began telling all he met about Jesus.  He went on his first missionary journey with Barnabas, traveling many miles while sharing the gospel.

In Acts 15, after a potential crisis in the early church is avoided and there is much unity, Paul and Barnabas agree to go back and visit the churches they saw on their first trip.  Just one problem.

They had a fight.  Did you know Christians do that sometimes?  This was a big fight, not so much over how but over who.  Barnabas wanted to bring young John Mark with them, Paul disagreed becuase of his actions before.  This was such a serious fight that they split up, and headed seperate ways.

Acts 16 then tells the story of how God brought unity after the disagreement between two godly men.  

In his first stop, Paul meets a young man Timothy.  He begins traveling with Paul and becomes a great friend and like a son to him.  God brings other people to partner with Paul as well. 

We are not meant to do God's mission alone. Even after conflict, God brings us who we need to travel with us to spread His good news.  

Later in the chapter, God forbids Paul to spread the gospel in China.  God always has a plan, and we have to follow His plan as we go out on mission to be witnesses in the world.  

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. 6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.  Acts 16:1-11

Palm Sunday

A picture is worth a thousand words right?  So I can describe to you the sunrise I saw over Murray 23 a few months ago.  The fog was rolling in and as the sun rose it began to burn off.  The sun reflected in the water and illuminated everything with a kind of ethereal light.

I could go on and on.  Or I could just show you.

God created us in such a way that we learn by seening and by reading, and when these two combine, we get a powerful witness in scripture.

Towards the end of Jesus' time on earth He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, showing in words what He had been preaching for several years.  The King was coming, in peace, and He brough salvation with him.

1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'" 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" 10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" 11 And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." - Mat 21:1-11 

The arrival of Christ to Jerusalem before his crucifixion showed the world that He was King, and it shows us how he should be Lord of our lives as well.

Christ Arose!

We make Easter about all sorts of things. Family, eggs, candy, and everything else.  But for Christians, the resurrection of Christ is about one thing only:  new life over death and payment for our sins.

Jesus didn't die to give us a re-organized life.

Jesus didn't die to give us a more focused life.

Jesus didn't die to give us new priorities.


Jesus died to give us new life.  And new life alone can come from Him.

 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  Luke 24:1-9

In the history of mankind, there has been some notable achievements.  The pyramids, hanging gardens, the coliseum.  In more recent times we have harnessed nuclear power, mastered flight, and video chatting across oceans.

But one invention stands above them all: Caller ID.

Now maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but if you've answered the phone and immediately regretted it, you know the power of caller id.  Or more than that, seeing the joy at who is calling you.

In our study of Abraham we've seen him answer the call of God many times.  Joyfully, cheerfully, even slowly.  But for Abraham to know God is calling him is a great joy.  When God calls in Genesis 22, I'm sure he eagerly answers, but this time the call is different.  God asks him to sacrifice his son.


Abraham obeyed, traveling the 3 days with his son to the place of his sacrifice.  Abraham trusted God with simple faith, because he had not seen God let him down.  Even when there was no evidence.  God sent a substitute for Isaac, just as he did for us.  This chapter is a picture of how we must trust God, even when the picture is unclear.  By giving us His Son, God has shown himself faithful to us, and we must never forget it.

You Can Make A Difference

In a world of 7 billion people, we often ask ourselves "How can I make a difference for the cause of Christ?"  With so many needs, so little time, and so few resources, where do I begin?

In the context of challenging his readers to "...earnestly contend for the faith..." (v3), Jude states "And some of you have compassion, making a difference."(v22)  In v21-23 Jude tells us that you make a difference when you:





Live your life based upon a Holy faith

Directed by prayer in the Holy Spirit

Continually in the love of God

And expecting the return of Jesus Christ.

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. - Jud 1:20-23 

Gen 20 and 21

When my grandparents began to move out of their house, we all came.  (9 grandchildren)  We came at one time or another to get things that held sentimental value, that we always admired, or some such thing.

I went through the barn and picked up a hand drill.  My grandfather used it on the telephone poles as a lineman.  It's a neat little tool, but outdated for today's work.  Today they can carry with them electric cordless drill with great power.  My hand drill is now just a relic of another era.



Many view the Old Testament that way.  Genesis in particular, a great piece of history, but not useful for todays modern world.  But as we have studied the life of Abraham, we see the ups and downs of his life, and see the value it has for our life today. As it points us to Jesus, we are drawn towards God and pulled to the cross for forgiveness.  The story of the birth of Isaac shows us that scripture is "Ancient, but not antiquated" (CH Mackintosh)

Trusting God means we must trust him with not only our eternal souls, but our present bodies.  Abraham received (finally) God's promise in God's way in God's time.  His birth was a miracle, and a picture of God implanting us with a new nature after salvation, not just making the best out of the mess we have.

Isaac to is a picture of Christ to us.  Their births share these similarities:

1. The Promised Birth
2. The wait after the Promise
3. Announcements that come in an incredulous manner
4. Named before birth
5. Born at God's appointed time
6.  Birth was a miracle of nature
7. They were a joy to their Fathers
8.  They were obedient even unto death


Praise God that He gives us new life!  Even (especially) when we can't do anything in our own strength.

Sodom and Gomorrah

In Genesis 19, God comes to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.  We are quick to write this off as about other people, but God says in Jude it's a warning to all of us, lest we fall into sin as well.

Lot has lived in Sodom for some time. He is a man of stature in the city, and Peter calls him a righteous man.  We might wonder how a righteous man ends up in a spot like this. To be sure it was the small choices in his life that drove him to this point.  So too in our life, the small choices over time are often what has a bigger impact on our walk with God.

Small choices will keep you away from God, or small choices will drive you to God.


When faced with the impending disaster and the word from God, Lot hesitated.  When the Word of God comes and speaks into our hearts in times of trouble, it shows the idols we have, the things we hold nearer than God.

Sodom is about more than other people.  It's about the wickedness that resides in all of us, and our need to be justified by Christ alone, not our deeds.

Genesis 18

Some times the promises of God seem so outrageous that all we can do is laugh.  That certainly was the case for Abraham and Sarah.  They were 100 and 90 years old, respectively, and God promised them a Son!  All they could do was laugh.

Sometimes we too laugh at the promises of God. That He loves us, or that He would use us as part of His plan.  But thankfully God's faithfulness is not dependent on our belief.  God's promise always comes in Gods way in Gods' time.

The hardest step is believing in God, but we cannot just believe in a God of our imagination, or one that fits in our box. Rather, scripture reveals to us the God who is faithful, omnipotent, wise, kind, and loving.  But we have to be in scripture to know that God.

When we forget, or don't acknowledge who God is, our sin overtakes our live and pulls us away from Him.  We become centered on our self and not looking for who God reveals himself to be.

Abraham had a full picture of God, so much so that he could plead God's character to him as he prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah.  Knowing God that well takes time and effort, and a heart set on Him.

Genesis 16 Sarai and Hagar

Let me describe a movie to you and see if you can guess it.

A small town girl, upset with her family, finally gets away. But then all she wants is to go home, and will pay any price to do it.  She kills one person, steals from her body, takes a long journey while making friends with some strange  people, all to get to and obey the orders of some egotistical maniac.  She breaks into someones home and kills them too, in order to get what she thinks she needs.

Sound familiar?  Wanna have a guess?  Go ahead, I'll wait.  It's the Wizard of Oz.  Isn't that what that story is about?  Depending on how you view it, I guess it is. But we often try to make a story about something it isn't in order to suit our needs, or make ourselves feel better.

We do it often with the bible too. We want to make the story about good people doing good things and being rewarded by a good God.  But we saw in Genesis 15 that we are justified by our faith, and not our works. Genesis 16 reminds us that this is the central message of the Bible, and that we can't make the Bible about something else.  Abram and Sarai in this passage do not act in a way that honors God, but still God gives them grace.

Genesis 16 reminds us that we must listen to the voice of God over the other voices in our world, even those closest to us.


And it reminds us that God's promise comes in God's way in God's time.

Genesis 15

When I proposed marriage to my wife, we were both in college still.  I was working as a part time, interim pastor.  It doesn't get much more unstable than that!  I also worked at a local christian book store part time as well.  Needless to say, the assests I brought into our marriage weren't much. An old car and a bunch of books!  But our marriage, the covenant we entered into, was not based on what we had, but on our faith in each other to be there.

As we've studied Abram, we've heard that word over and over and over:  COVENANT  And this week is no exception.

1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." 2 Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir." 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." 5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 

[Gen 15:1-6 NASB]

On this last verse hang almost all of the promises of scritpure, that Abram was justified by his faith,  and that God counted to him as righteousness.  Abram was called by God, and he did what we all can do:  he believed.

Verse 6 is a nail in the coffin of legalism, moralism, self-righteousness and then on that nail hangs all the scripture.  We are justified - made holy- by faith.  

This is good news to us, as we could not equal the deeds of Abram, or his wealth or power. But we all can believe, and that is all that God requires of us.

Genesis 14 War of the Kings

Abram has been called by God, chosen by God, and given a promise from God.  Even though he has made some missteps along the way, God has promised that through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

While following God's plan for our life, there are many things that pop up and try to distract us from the work God is doing. Abram's life is no exception, and Genesis 14 is just that.


The nephew of Abram, Lot, gets caught up in a war between kings in the countryside surrounding Cannan.  Abram goes to rescue him, over coming the kings and rescuing not only his nephew, but many others as well.

God has enable you -equipped you- to meet the needs of the people around you.

You might not have physical wealth and prowess like Abram, but we have through Jesus access into all the spiritual riches of Christ.


The story continues as Abram meets Melchizedek, King of Salem.  He is, according to his name and title, the King of Righteousness and King of Peace.  He is also a priest of the Most High God.    There is no lineage of Abram, and to us he is a picture of Christ.

Genesis 14 reminds us that

1.  Our salvation, even our success in life, is owed to someone else.

2.  We must choose God as Abram did, even when the world offers all it has to us.

3.  There is a war over what we will be satisfied in, God or the world.  the choice is ours.