February 28, 2021                                                                Text:  Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Ever tried a shortcut?  You spout off about a shorter route to somewhere and you end up sitting in a Wal-Mart parking lot with the Rand McNally out.  You have some assembling to do – a kid’s toy, a desk, an entertainment center – the directions just jumble your brain and you just know there has to be an easier road to completion.  Except it doesn’t quite work that way . . . and why am I still working on this hours later?

            Abraham is looking for a shortcut.  Here is his dilemma – he is 99 years old and has no heir with Sarai his wife.  Let’s fill in some blanks not in our text.  Sarai had an Egyptian servant named Hagar that she gave to Abram to bear him a son.  And she did – Ishmael.  Abram was 86 years old.  Abram thinks that he can be the heir and tells God of his wonderful shortcut.  “I mean God Sarai and I are too old to have children so let’s just call Ishmael the heir of the promise and get on with it.”

            All of this shows the weak faith that Abram and Sarai have.  Have you been in there shoes?  You see something in front of you, want to take the shortcut and leave God out of it.  When we do that we . . .

“LEAVE THE BLESSING BEHIND”

            Abram’s actions make sense to us.  He wants to fix the problem.  He wants to take the matter into his own hands.  He has got the solution:  “God, let’s do things my way this time.”

            The Law reflects back at us.  We are Abram.  We have struggles and challenges in life.  Everyone does.  So, we go to Him in prayer.  Our emotions pour out and we know He promises to answer.  And we finish the prayer with a heartfelt ‘Amen’ and instead of giving the Lord the time to intervene in your life, we start looking for our own answers and the way that we really think the problem should be fixed.  And that leads to worry and anxiety and despair.  We leave the blessing behind because we give it to God but then we take it right back.  Couldn’t my sickness been cured yesterday?  I really needed that money last week.  My child is destroying themself, what are you doing God? 

            We miss the blessing of his answer.  We miss the sign of His intervention.  We don’t really trust that He has our best interests at heart.  After all, you might not like God’s answer and His solution.  Just like Abram.

            The Lord needs to see His servant face-to-face.  He isn’t there to belittle him or tell him that he can’t believe his behavior.  God is there to strengthen his faith as He speaks to him the promises of the covenant.  God goes above and beyond the old man and old woman having a child as senior citizens.  The promises that He shares are mind-boggling and are still happening today.

            The other night I was listening to a CD of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits.  As I lay there in the dark, I had this thought.  Would Elvis have been so popular and called the ‘King’ if his name were say . . . Joe Yablonski?  I don’t think so.  The only thing Joe Yablonski could be the king of would be sausage!

            God knew names mean something so He is going to change the names of these two servants.  Abram becomes Abraham and the father of a multitude of nations.  Sarai becomes Sarah because she would be the mother of many nations.  Two miracles happen here – a son being born and many nations coming into being.

            God would make this everlasting covenant with Abraham and so many descendants would spill out of this relationship that the world would grow through his offspring.  Eventually one of those descendants would be the Savior, Jesus Christ.  Abraham and his descendants would also have an everlasting possession – the Promised Land.

            God didn’t leave the blessing behind He gave it to Abraham and Sarah.  When He fulfilled this promise to them, He kept this same promise to you and to me.  Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abraham, has come.  He came for all nations.  He came for all generations.  He came to fulfill God’s promises.

            He has done this by removing the sins of our weak faith, our doubts, our constant desire to do things my way and our penchant for solving problems without regard to God’s will.  His suffering and blood and death paid for our misguided actions.  He even conquered death for us in his glorious resurrection.  All the promises to Abraham and to us have been fulfilled.  By faith in Jesus, we, too, are now descendants of Abraham.

            Your name has also been changed.  At the day of your baptism when you became an heir of eternal life, God gave you a new name:  Christian.  He also grants us a new covenant through the shed body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.  All of this keeps us in the faith until we walk into the everlasting Promised Land.

            Don’t leave the blessings behind.

                                                                        Amen.    

February 21, 2021                                                                     Text:  Genesis 22:1-18

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Here is a simple story that makes a point:  “A little boy came running into the house after playing outside.  His mother stopped and asked what was on his right hand.  He said, ‘Just a little mud.’  His mother then asked if he was going to get the mud off his hand.  He paused and said, ‘Sure, mom, I will just wipe it off with my other hand.’  One dirty hand with a clean hand now equals two dirty hands.

            People are like that little boy.  They see the evil in their life and figure they can make themselves clean by bringing good into their life to bear the problem.  But you and I know it doesn’t work that way.  To be spiritually and morally clean we need another way.  The only solution is found in the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all our sins.”

            This first Sunday of Lent we consider . . .

“THE LORD WILL PROVIDE”

            We delve into the first two verses of our text, “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’  And he said, ‘Here am I.’  He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 

            This is always an emotional story.  A father who loves his son is to sacrifice that son.  It cuts deep into our soul.  How could God ask this of Abraham?  Just like a boss who should be willing to do what his employees do, God is not asking Abraham to do anything that God wouldn’t do.  More on that later.

            We’re whiners.  I’ll admit that.  Who hasn’t been whining about the cold and the snow and the roads and trying to get things done and . . . it could go on and on.  Look at father Abraham.  He doesn’t whine, doesn’t debate God – “what again are you asking me to do?”  He even tells Isaac, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” (v. 8)

            He binds Isaac and even has the knife out – he is going all the way – somebody please stop this.  “The angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’…Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (vs. 11-12)

            Do you know who the angel of the Lord is speaking from heaven?  This is the pre-incarnate Christ speaking.  This is Jesus before His birth into the world.

            This is a foreshadowing of God’s love for us.  God took his son and laid him on a cross on top of wood, just like Isaac.  God carried a knife as He allowed His Son to be beaten and whipped and mocked and crucified at Calvary.  Christ died for our whining and our lack of faith.  He gave His life for the world’s people who are always questioning what He is doing.  “All the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (v. 18)

            Jesus died for people who mess up, have to swallow a lot of regrets and sometimes, can’t find their way through an open door with the lights on; people who are afraid of tomorrow and horrified by death.  He died for you – for me – for all the sinners on this earth.  You can count on this; He loves us beyond anything we can imagine.  Would you kill your child so that others might live?  God did.  That is the kind of sacrifice and love that He demonstrates.  It is a love that we should never take for granted.  It is a love that promises an eternal future.  It is a love that is with you today and tomorrow and forever.

            The Lord will provide . . . He has . . . He will . . . let it show in your life.

                                                                                                                                    Amen.