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The God Who Keeps Introducing Himself

Pastor Michael Petillo | Springs Church | February 15, 2026

In Genesis 14, we read the first recorded war in human history—four powerful kings plunder Sodom and Gomorrah, capturing people, possessions, and even Abram’s nephew Lot. But what happens next is nothing short of miraculous: Abram mobilizes only 318 trained servants, travels over 140 miles, overtakes the enemy army, and wins an impossible victory, rescuing Lot and recovering everything that was stolen. 

Yet this story isn’t just about battle—it’s about revelation.

Pastor Michael teaches that God often uses moments of crisis not only to deliver us, but to reveal Himself in deeper ways. Abram returns from victory and is met by two kings: Melchizedek, the King of Salem and priest of God Most High, and the King of Sodom. Melchizedek brings bread and wine, blesses Abram, and introduces him to a new revelation of God: El Elyon—God Most High, the Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth. 

Immediately after this powerful encounter, the King of Sodom attempts to tempt Abram with the spoils of war. But Abram refuses without hesitation. Why? Because Abram had become fully convinced that God owned everything already. That revelation made him free—free from greed, compromise, and the world’s grip. 

Pastor Michael reminds us that many believers know God as Savior, but haven’t truly discovered Him as El Elyon, the One who is fully in control. Without that revelation, temptation becomes harder to resist and trust becomes harder to hold.

The message continues by showing a pattern in Abram’s life: every major crisis became a doorway into a new understanding of God. In Genesis 17, when Abram is old and still waiting on the promised child, God introduces Himself again—this time as El Shaddai, “God Almighty,” the all-sufficient One. Abram’s faith grows stronger because he becomes convinced that God can do whatever He promises. 

Finally, in Genesis 22, even in Abram’s old age, God leads him into another test—offering Isaac on Mount Moriah. In that moment, God reveals yet another name: Jehovah Jireh, “The Lord Will Provide.” Once again, the trial becomes the classroom where God reveals His nature more deeply. 

Pastor Michael closes with encouragement for anyone walking through repeated seasons of hardship: your trials may not be punishment—they may be preparation. God is still introducing Himself, shaping your faith, and building something in you that will empower your prayers, your authority, and your trust for what He wants to do next.

Because God is never finished revealing who He is