On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass was called on to speak about the meaning of the 4th of July to the Ladies Anti-Slavery Union of Rochester, New York. He began innocuously, noting the ingenious and goodness of the Founders’ vision for the country. But when he began to note how that vision had not made it into reality, he became scathing of the nation. Her deeds did not match her doctrine. Abraham will be tested in this very manner – will his deeds match his doctrine? Will his works match his faith? Does ours?

1. What precisely is this test?

2. What was Abraham thinking?

3. Why does God test Abraham this way?

4. Isn’t this just child sacrifice?

5. Our work proves what we really believe

6. God’s work pictures what we ought to believe

Most ancient writers used very discernable structures in their writings. This allowed them to clue their readers in on central points and highlight similarities. One of the most basic of these is chiasm, where a central text has mirroring parts as you move away from it. Our text today has that same structure, and it helps to point us to the central idea: we are to trust our God in all things.

1. Trust the protection of God

2. Trust the promise of God

3. Trust the priorities of God

As Allied troops surrounded and pressured the city of Berlin, WWII was all but over. Cowardly, Hitler took his life in his protected bunker. In shooting that bullet in his brain, he escaped the justice the world was due. There would be no trial, no answers, no humbling for the great boasts he has made. The rest of the world was denied a true sense of justice. We thirst for justice. But it is not all we need; a fact the gospel reminds us of continually. Today, as we look at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, let us hear the truth about the nature of God’s true and lasting justice.

1. True justice punishes sin

2. True justice pursues sin

3. True justice cannot placate sin

4. True justice cannot prevent sin

Often, in traditional story-telling, there are clear, sharp lines that divide good and evil, good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. Often the characters in the stories are flat or one-dimensional. They are either good or bad, right or wrong. There is very little nuance. In real life, things often are not as clear and not as concise. If we compare ourselves to others, this may be true. But what does God have to say about this? When we hold up God’s standard, who God is and what he is like, we see a clear and concise contrast.

1. The Wicked are Extensively Evil

2. The Lord is Overwhelmingly Good

John Newton was a scoundrel before he ever saw a slave ship. He was kicked out of the navy and worked hard to do so. He was disliked on the ships on which he worked. Not only was he sold into slavery, but even being a slave did not get him to stop slave trading when he was freed. Yet, the Lord loved him and called him and saved him out of his misery. The Lord loves saving sinners. Like John Newton. Like Abraham and Sarah. Like us.

1. The shamefulness of sin

2. The confirmation of circumcision

3. The greatness of the gift

Many people have heard the story about the genie in the lamp, one who grants three wishes to the lucky person who happens to rub up against it. It is a good little experiment for people: what do you really desire in this world? We can answer, with little effort, what Abram would ask from that genie: A child, an heir, a son. God is no genie, but he affirms Abram’s desire and reaffirms his promise. Yet, God also gets back from Abram what he wants and desires, namely Abram’s trust and faith. That, in the end, is what God truly wants from us all; that we trust him and believe his word.

1. God desires you to believe him

2. God helps you to believe him

The Khwarazmian empire was a strong and important empire in the 11th-13th centuries. Located in the middle of the trade route between Asia and Europe, it was strategically placed in the world. Genghis Khan realized that, and sought to make a trade agreement. He was rebuffed, and with fervor. This was a mistake, as Khan did what he normally did – ruthlessly destroyed them. Our text this morning sounds much like that bit of history, but why tell it. But why digress this way, and spend so much time on a bit of history that seems unattached to the main part of Abram’s life? There is a point, and a surprise ending to all of this however. To let us see this, we should consider:

1. The focus of the text

2. A feature of the text

3. The future of the text

In ancient Greek myths, the gods proved themselves both fickle and pliable. They demanded sacrifices to appease them, and men offered them. These bought the favor of some gods and helped the wrath and anger of others to be avoided. Scripture does not picture God that way. While sacrifice is indeed central to our faith, it is not the way that we enter into God’s blessing. How can we, then, enter into God’s blessing? What must we do? As we turn to Genesis 13, and inspect Lot’s relationship to Abram, let us consider:

1. The reason for the blessing

2. The rejection of the blessing

3. The richness of the blessing

Dogs are wonderful creatures. Silly, funny, loyal, and kind, they are truly man’s best friend. Some people, however, do not see them in that light, and neglect and abuse them. When rescued, they fear humans, for all they have received from them is harm. We are similar; the lies we are fed in this world about God make us distrust his word and aims in our lives. But through patient love and care, and continual faithfulness to us, God overcomes these lies. We, like Abram, need to learn to trust God in every circumstance.

Nate Yurgaites, pastor of Damascus Baptist Church in Midland, joined us this Sunday as part of our Pulpit swap with Damascus and Sunrise Baptist Church. Nate is seeking to encourage us today through God's word in Acts 13:1-3. Please listen!