Him We Proclaim

Genesis 23:1-20: Summary: Abraham insists on purchasing a burial cave for his Sarah, the barren mother of the living, in the land of promise near the oaks by which he first received the promise in Genesis 13. Believing in the promise of the Exodus from Genesis 15, Abraham refused to return Sarah to Ur or Haran where he had lived previously. Rather, he paid a large sum of money for a tomb, making his first piece of deeded property in the promised land a tomb, showing that he was waiting for yet another promised land. One with foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

Sermon Outline:

By Faith, Abraham Grieves Not as One Without Hope

By Faith, Abraham Acquires a Tomb

By Faith, We Look Forward to the Same Promises

Psalm 67: Summary: A word on global missions.

Sermon Outline:

God makes Himself known to His people. (67:1)

God makes Himself known to His people so His people will make Him known to the nations. (67:2)

God makes Himself known to His people so the nations can praise Him. (67:3-7)

2 Timothy 2:8-10: Summary: Paul exhorts Timothy to establish an enduring culture of evangelism in the local church. What Timothy's seen in Paul, Timothy's to model and impart to others, and those disciples, to still others. The best thing for a healthy missiology (missions) is a healthy ecclesiology (church) built on a healthy soteriology (salvation). To that end, Paul provides three main emphases for an enduringly evangelistic church: 1) Jesus is not dead. 2) The Word is not bound. 3) The ministry is not in vain. Remember the crucified and risen King. Remember the Word of God reigns over the limitations of men. Remember God has a people, and Jesus, a salvation, that's worth what it demands: enduring everything to pair the people to their Savior. Such emphases will sustain the church who's aim is the glory of God in the harvest of God by the Word of God.

Genesis 22:1-24: Summary: As it turns out, the condition of God's unconditional covenant with Abraham is a love for God that obeys God all the way to death on a figural cross. The stakes are Gospel-high. The test is revelatory of God's heart for sinners. In Abraham's passing of it by faith in God and His Word, Isaac casts the shadow of the eternal Lamb, even as that shadow is cast over him. He is Abraham's only son, and this son of promise is to be sacrificed in service of God's glory. Abraham shows no hesitation, down to the last moment. At that time, Heaven halts him. Faith is proven in that it reflects the heart of God. Accordingly, God provides His own sacrifice in Isaac's place. Abraham returns home with Isaac, freed by the life and death of God's ram. The Lord will provide. The Lamb is coming! This promise will go forward, now through Isaac and Rebekah, to its global achievement. All who trust in Jesus will be blessed on account of Him Who bore our curse.

Genesis 21:22-34: Summary: Abimelech and Phicol have noticed something about Abraham: the Everlasting God is with him in all he does. Unsettled, they seek a peace-treaty with Abraham, to which Abraham agrees. God blesses those who bless Abraham. When the treaty is transgressed by the taking of the prophet's well, Abraham reproves Abimelech. Abimelech pleads the fifth. Abraham swears to his own hurt that he dug the well himself. He gifts Abimelech seven ewe lambs as an ongoing reminder of his integrity and trustworthiness. Abraham's well will not be seized by faithless men. Abimelech and Phicol return to the Philistines. Abraham plants a tree in Beersheba and calls upon the name of the Lord. The Everlasting God is for Abraham. His sufficiency enables His man to offer peace to the nations at cost to himself throughout his sojourning. It's no coincidence that the substitutionary sacrifice of God's ram is right around the corner.

Genesis 21:1-21: Summary: God delivers on His Word. Isaac is born and celebrated. The Gospel has its next figurehead. But Ishmael doesn't buy it. At Isaac's coming of age, Ishmael 'persecutes' him. A son of the flesh, born to slavery, Ishmael shows disdain for his younger brother, the son of promise, born for freedom. Sarah charges Abraham to divide his family lines. Isaac is the heir of the Abrahamic blessing. This is a trial for Abraham. It's always hard to let go of our flesh and give all to God's grace. God confirms Sarah's request. His purpose of election is with Isaac, not Ishmael. Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away. Soon as their provisions for surviving the wilderness run dry, and they cry, God hears and helps from Heaven. His provision never runs dry. He unveils a well of life in the howling wilderness to the outcast. Would that they would do all they could to follow Him wherever He's made His blessing to dwell! Every word of God proves true, defining, and sufficient for life.

Genesis 20:1-18: Summary: God is sovereign, and wields His sovereignty for His glory and our good. Thank God! Because those He's saved to be His delegates in the world don't always trust or represent Him to the world to those same ends. As the messianic titles and offices continues to pile up for Abraham, Abraham portrays anything-but---again. His indefensible lack of faith leads to Sarah's captivity, and the Gospel with her. But God is better than His man. He has no fear of going to a king of dust and ashes in protection of Sarah and all that He's bonded to her womb. This king, Abimelech, pleads his innocence, but even an unbeliever's innocence is not their own to plead. He must do as God says to live or, otherwise, perish, along with all he represents. Abimelech's heritage and kingdom are on the line. He must go to Abraham for prayer unto life. In the process, he offers a piercing question: believer, what have you done to us? Abraham explains himself. It's very simple. In his sojourning, he hasn't taken God at His Word. He's still learning how to trust the Lord fully. Such growth is critical if sinners are to be blessed and not cursed for their sins. Abimelech blesses Abraham, while vindicating Sarah. Abraham prays for Abimelech. And God does what only He can do: gives life to barren wombs, opens up empty tombs.

The King sinners can and must in our sojourning trust. (20:1-7)

A timeless piercing for trusting the King over faithless thinking. (20:8-13)

Trusting our King is a life-giving thing. (20:14-18)

Genesis 19:30-38: Summary: Lot and his two daughters leave Zoar for a cave in the hills. 'Better is a little with the fear of the Lord.' For reasons we can only hypothesize, he's afraid of living in Zoar. Does he fear another episode of judgment? Has he experienced persecution? Has he realized that the hills of salvation are better than the little city of sin? Is his faith more mature? His two daughters have learned Sodom's lessons well. They scheme to obtain children by their father. It doesn't say much of him that they're able to induce such depravity. They're impregnated. A degenerate family is born in the cave of the righteous man. On the hills of salvation are made in sin two historical enemies of God: Moab and Ben-Ammi. They will be a regular thorn in the side of God's people. In God's mercy, another Righteous Man would also settle in a cave, only this One would rise victorious over all His enemies. The world was not worthy of Lot. Lot was not worthy of Christ. But the Lamb of God is worthy of a people who, reveling as unworthy in mercy, are more righteous than righteous Lot.

Genesis 19:1-29: Summary: God will do what is just. Angels visit Sodom. Lot greets them in a similar manner as Abraham. He is a righteous man, but righteous people can be hard to move when once they've settled too long in the world. Lot's environment has infected his judgment. He struggles to discern the angels' purpose and the power at their disposal. He would save them when they would save him. He would offer his daughters to the depraved. Still, even a righteous wretch isn't wretch enough for the wicked. All that's good only intensifies Sodom's lust. Even blinded, they grope to exhaustion to satisfy their thirst for evil. The angels draw him to themselves. They charge him to collect his own. Trial meets his efforts. To be saved, Lot himself has to be seized. The world has a mighty gravity, but the righteous will arise, escape, not stop, and never look back. Therefore, as Jesus taught, remember Lot's wife. To look back is to forfeit life with God. Once the righteous one is removed, the wicked are destroyed. God remembers Abraham, Lot is spared, and justice has been done. Later, the Righteous One will not be spared that all the wicked who believe on Him may be. Up then, and don't look back!

Sermon Outline:

A righteous person in a wrong place. (19:1-3, etc.)

A wicked people at the door of the righteous. (19:4-11)

God's rescue extended to all who will be seized. (19:10-26)

The conclusion in answer to Abraham's inquiry. (19:27-29)

Genesis 18:16-33: Summary: Abraham and his offspring are to be a light of righteousness to the nations. Only in him, in Christ, will the ungodly be blessed by faith. The righteousness of God's people is an evangelical ministry in the world. We cannot afford to be indifferent about it. The wicked are storing up wrath for the Day of justice, and God will not be fooled. The Judge of all the earth will do what's just, and the righteous will not fare as the wicked. God will sooner suffer the wicked than sweep away the righteous. There is no condemnation for those with living faith, and they will never be confused with those who never fled from wrath to the Righteous One. Of this, we can be certain.

Sermon Outline:

The sorrowful history of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The needful ministry of Abraham and his offspring. (18:16-21)

The careful inquiry of Abraham before the Lord. (18:22-26)

The peaceful certainty of God's righteous ones. (18:27-33)