Under Authority

The Main Idea: Covenant Certainty out of Family Instability.

*The Big Question: How does God bring Clarity out of Confusion?

*The Central Point: He EXPOSES our VULNERABILITIES to give us Wisdom:

1.) Marital Vulnerability (26:34-35; 27:46) – (Application: God wants to give us wisdom about the impact of our attitudes)

2.) Personal Vulnerability (27:1-4) – (Application: God wants to give us awareness of the impact of our weaknesses)

3.) Familial Vulnerability (27:5-17) – (Application: God wants to give us understanding of the impact of our relationships)

The Main Idea: Covenant Certainty is built by a right response to the Lord’s Covenant Promise.

*The Big Question: How does God build trust in his Covenant Promise?

*The Central Point: He ENABLES proper FEAR of him:

1.) “Fear Not” Command (vv. 23-25) – (Application: God protects his Covenant People by his commands)

2.) Fear-filled Response (vv. 26-29) – (Application: God protects his Covenant People by causing his and their enemies to sense his dreadfulness)

3.) Fearful Feasting (vv. 30-33) – (Application: God protects his Covenant People by his preparing a table before them in the presence of his and their enemies)

The Main Idea: Covenant Certainty is the result of the Lord’s Covenant Blessing the Covenant Head.

*The Big Question: How does God guarantee his certainty to save us?

*The Central Point: He BLESSES Isaac by:

1.) Prospering Isaac’s Work (vv. 12-14a) – (Application: God confirms Covenant Certainty in our blessing by blessing the Covenant Head)

2.) Protecting Isaac’s Wealth (vv. 14b-16) – (Application: God confirms Covenant Certainty for our comprehensive blessing by blessing the Covenant Head)

3.) Providing Isaac’s Way (vv. 17-22) – (Application: God confirms Covenant Certainty for practical blessing by blessing the Covenant Head)

The Main Idea: Covenant Certainty is the result of the Lord’s Covenant Blessing the Covenant Head.

*The Big Question: How does God drive home his Covenant Faithfulness?

*The Central Point: He Uses Even Isaac’s Sin to Triumph:

1.) Usurping Isaac’s Deception (vv. 6-8) – (Application: Confidence in God’s Covenant faithfulness is built by his sovereignty over our sin)

2.) Undoing Isaac’s Foolishness (vv. 9-11) – (Application: Confidence in God’s Covenant faithfulness is built by his sovereignty over our foolishness)

The Main Idea: Covenant Certainty is the result of generations of the Lord’s Covenant Faithfulness.

*The Big Question: How does God teach each generation his Covenant Faithfulness?

*The Central Point: He Expands the Vision of His Promises by:

1.) Giving New People Old Trials (vv. 1, 5) – (Application: God gives you trials for YOU to gain confidence)

2.) Giving Old Promises New Applications (vv. 2-4) – (Application: God brings you through trials to let you see more of what HE’s doing)

The Main Idea: The Lord builds us in Covenant Certainty by showing us his sovereignty and our responsibility.

*The Big Question: How are we sure God is committed to his Great Reclamation Project?

*The Central Point: By Showing How He Interacts with His People:

1.) Prayer and the Sovereignty of God (vv. 19-21) – (Application: God uses the prayers of his covenant people to enact his will)

2.) Peoples and the Sovereignty of God (vv. 22-26) – (Application: God uses the circumstances of his covenant people to enact his will)

3.) Personalities and the Sovereignty of God (vv. 27-34) – (Application: God uses the interactions of his covenant people to enact his will)

The Main Idea: The Lord builds us in Covenant Certainty by making distinctions between types of people.

*The Big Question: How does the Lord build in us covenant certainty?

*The Central Point: He Shows His Covenant Vision of People:

1.) People Away from the Covenant (vv. 1-6) – (Application: God makes distinctions among people in relation to his covenant)

2.) People of the Covenant (vv. 7-11) – (Application: God never gives up on his great reclamation of a people for himself))

3.) People Over Against the Covenant (vv. 12-18) – (Application: God shows his faithfulness to his people through active persecution)

The Main Idea: The Lord trains us in Covenant Certainty by Moving us to Action on His Answers to Prayer.

*The Big Question: What does the Lord do to move us to act on answered prayer?

*The Central Point: He Grants Heavenly Wisdom in:

1.) Seeking Consent (vv. 49-53) – (Application: Heavenly Wisdom in prayer calls us to honor others)

2.) Celebrating Agreement (v. 54a) – (Application: Heavenly Wisdom in prayer moves us to build good relationships)

3.) Resolving Issues (vv. 54b-60) – (Application: Heavenly Wisdom in prayer leads us to humbly and boldly seek peace)

The Main Idea: The Lord trains us in Covenant Certainty by Building Confidence in Prayer.

*The Big Question: How does the Lord build our confidence in prayer?

*The Central Point: He Moves Us to Live it Out by:

1.) Patience (vv. 29-33) – (Application: Waiting on God’s timing builds confidence in prayer)

2.) Proof (vv. 34-43) – (Application: Reflecting on God’s provision builds confidence in prayer)

3.) Practicality (vv. 44-48) – (Application: Acting on God’s promises builds confidence in prayer)

The Main Idea: The Lord trains us in Covenant Certainty by answering Prayer.

*The Big Question: What does God us to get out of prayer?

*The Central Point: He Receives Us in It by:

1.) His Gracious Attitude toward Us (vv. 15-21) – (Application: We have no natural right to ask anything of God, but his giving us that right encourages us to pray.)

2.) His Sovereign Actions for Us (vv. 22-28) – (Application: We are NOT in control but we have been received by the One who is: PRAY LIKE YOU MEAN IT!)