Grace In Genesis - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. And that is even Christianity. We start setting people aside as though there's something phenomenally wonderful by certain people. Some people a whole different class than other people.

Some people have titles that other people can't somebody will get canonized because of what they did so many great things but when God is talking see it that way all he says you know what the champion of Genesis is you know what it is by grace messaging joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word are Laurel will live in the real everything that goes around comes around actions have consequences. You reap what you sow. Eventually you get what you have coming. There are no free rides if something seems too good to be true. It's too good to be true.

There's a lot of truth in those statements are not entirely true. There are exceptions. Some of the exceptions are disturbing.

Sometimes the wicked prosper. Sometimes the guilty are acquitted. Sometimes the frugal still lose her money.

Sometimes the healthy still get diseases.

We know that's all because we live in a fallen world. But sometimes the exception can be delightful. In fact, the grace of God is the ultimate exception to the real world because grace is the vehicle that God uses to give us precisely what we don't deserve. In fact, this morning I like to look at the entire book of Genesis and see that principle at work and what you're really going to see their is that no one and I mean no one can be so undeserving that they do not qualify for the grace God when you begin to read throughout Genesis you begin to see that the grace of God abounds all the more as you go on in Genesis 6, for example, we find out that the world goes from bad to worse. In fact, Moses writes this, that every intent of the thoughts of a man's heart was only on evil you can get worse than that within a few verses later just reverses know what is mentioned in Moses writes this but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, whether he knew he see what he knew. We don't know.

I mean we know what he did. Later, he spent about 100 years doing it. But we know we go to Martha. We don't know what he did but he found favor in the sight of the Lord, I believe that this grace. In fact, we think of his children, Shannon Ham, and Japheth.

They don't demonstrate much righteousness in our lives. All fact there's nothing righteous about. And yet, each of them got their ticket punched for the ark, which is the grace of God one more time. So that's what I want to do. I want to take a tour through the book of Genesis, because I think it will be extremely beneficial. You for this point that no one can be so undeserving that they do not qualify for the grace of God. Open your Bibles to Genesis chapter 11 verse 27 Genesis is an interesting book when you think of why it's written. The children of Israel been in slavery for 400 years. They really don't know anything about their self-identity. Moses then decides the right to them and let them know who they are and so what he wants to do is to give them their heritage.

But what's interesting about this book is it's not like any other booking agent literature whenever you're trying to lay a foundation for a religion of the world. When you read the stories about the heroes of that religion is amazing how wonderful the characters are the characters are overwhelming. The characters are almost supernatural the characters without fault characters are almost godlike. But that's not what Moses writes in Genesis, Moses writes about characters that are despicable and it's very important for us because you see, once religion gets a hold of us.

Religion does the same thing that false religions and that is even Christianity. We start setting people aside as though there's something phenomenally wonderful by certain people. Some people are a whole different class than other people. Some people have titles that other people can't somebody will get canonized because of what they did so many great things but when God is talking. He doesn't see it that way all he says you know what the champion of Genesis is you know what it is, my grace is the champion. He said my grace prevails, not based on what the people did.

That's what I want to see this morning. In chapter 11 verse 27 it says these are the records of the generations of Tara and Tara became the father of Abraham. I just wanted to mention that because were now to a very famous man Abraham in verse 28 it says Iran who was his brother.

He says died in the presence of his father, Tara, in the land of his birth in the Chaldeans. That's where Abram is he's in. Not far from what we think where the garden of Eden was the Fertile Crescent and the Euphrates with the Tigris and Euphrates mate is a remarkable city. One of the great ancient cities of the world.

In fact, archaeologists imply that at this time would've been the largest city on earth and it had about 65 or 70,000 people. Mean source of light. That's what it means light source of light in Hebrew as a matter fact, the high priest were breastplate. It was called the Europe Earlham and Thummim in the euro mark.

Earlham was a source of light from the breastplate they were worshipers of the light of the night. They were known for their moon worship. That's what they did. So God shows up where a bunch of people are moving worshipers and he picks out a guy's name is Abram in chapter 12 verse one it says now the Lord said to Abram Goforth in the country and from your relatives and from your father's house to the land which I will show you when I will make you a great nation, he says, and I will bless you and make your name great and so you shall be a blessing and I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. While who ever had God speak to them like that you have, blessing, blessing, blessing, and then look at look at the magnitude of it all the families of the earth are going to be blessed because of you. He must be a remarkable man.

He must be exemplary in his character is not not at all.

So matter fact he has one good quality really good quality. In verse four it says so Abram went forth as the Lord spoke, God said, go Abram went. He had faith. That's it. Just believe God. God said goes okay. I'll go but as far as being simply being special. See how special he was. Look at chapter 12 verse 10.

Now there was a famine in the land and so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land and it came about that when he came near to Egypt that he said to Sarah, his wife, see now I know that you are beautiful woman and it will come about that when the Egyptian see you they will say this is his wife and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you and that I may live on account of you quite husband ladies what a guy were going out of the Egyptians menu are stunning. They see you come in as a foreigner.

One of the dignitaries grab you and to kill me. So please, please, please, just tell them you're my sister. That way, though still grab you by the let me live because I'm just a brother would come in is that she would go to manage that is an exemplary man.

Now remember, he's probably the most blessed recognized by God man of all time. He is Abraham. Well, you might say he was new this so let's go all the way to chapter 20 and chapter 20 were only two chapters before chapter 22 Ray offers up Isaac. Isaac the child of the promise, but I want to see something here in chapter 20 verse reverses now. Abraham journeyed from there for the land of the negative and settled between Kadesh insurer and any surge or near Geer and Abraham said to Sarah's wife she is my sister so Abimelech king of their scent and took Sarah, but God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night and said to him, behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken.

She is married now Abimelech had not come near her and he said Lord will use like a nation, even though blameless. Did he not himself say to me she is my sister and see yourselves that he is my brother and the integrity of my heart and in the innocence of my hands. I have done this Abimelech's opinion. He has more integrity. I would've never done this but he said she's my sister. So what a memoir notices called Abraham now about Abram he's growing well would see what he learned whenever he is confronted with this in verse 13 it says in a came about Abraham's dog and he says in a came about when God caused me to wonder for my walk father's house that I said to her. This is the kindness which you will show me everywhere we go, say of me. He is my brother. I don't miss this. It sounds a little bit like Adam and it came about when God caused me to wonder from my father's house look. I was happy and everything was going fine and or and everybody knew she was my wife and I never said he was my sister but God caused me to wonder and once he caused me to wonder you have to say she's my sister.

This is really God's call to men doesn't is was go one Abraham and Sarah blessed Isaac. As you know Isaac then takes a wife by the way not to. He was 40, which is extremely unusual in that culture. And he takes Rebecca and Rebecca's barren like Isaac's mom was for a while and then she conceives and she has twins in it says in the Scriptures that they struggle even within her, and when they're struggling God intercedes and speaks to her and he tells her that there will be two great nations to come from her but he said the older will serve the younger course is the story of Esau and Jacob, are you now the story plays out.

These two characters. Esau is a man's man he is. His dad's favorite Isaac is prejudice. He loves Esau inside of me is not much going on up there.

He reminds me of Sarah Jethro Bodine from the Beverly hillbillies.

I mean he big strong guy, but he sold his birthright.

His blessing for oatmeal because he was hungry that day telling this guy was like one taco short of a combination plate there's another character involved Jacob. Jacob Jacob in Hebrew means to grab the heel. That's what he did when we grab the heel in the womb. And it came to me in Hebrew and Iver it came to mean swimmer scoundrel, that's a Jacob is and Jacob was up to it. Remember what he did with his dad when his dad was in his old age and his site was feeling. He disguised himself up like his brother so his father were given the blessing went by the way, the support of his mother. These are all simply people. Notice how this works and so Jacob gets the blessing not remember. He then went away and decided to live and work for a man named Laban. Now this part is true everything it goes around comes around goes Jacob says falls in love with a woman name Rachel. Now it says in Scripture that he loved her because she had a beautiful face and beautiful form that are no guys, but that's not a good start. That's not necessary. Love, but he loved her because of that, so he said I work seven years for you so I can have Rachel Lehman said great works of seven years ago to consummate the marriage. Any oldest switcheroo takes place. Laban sends in Leah's older daughter, and now Leah is there in the darkness of the tent and she becomes Jacob's wife Jacob was outraged.

How can someone swindle you like that ringer goes around comes around. But Jacob agrees the work. Seven more years for Rachel and he does so he takes Rachel as his wife.

Now it's interesting with these two wives of what happens next and I want to understand this because we have a tendency to romanticize this the 12 tribes of Israel boy God's handpicked people yes but let's look at the reality of the situation.

Leon gets pregnant and the firstborn is Ruben he's the oldest. The second is Simeon the third is Levi who becomes the head of all the priest and the fourth is Judah now by now Rachel is beside herself. She is not able to conceive. Emily is given Jacob for children so she comes up with an idea and it sounds a little bit like Haberman, Sarah. Here's her idea. I have a handmaiden.

How about if I use her to give you children and so the handmaid's name is Vilma and Vilma, then the handmaiden of Rachel gives Jacob to more sons, Dan and Naphtali, so she has two more sons were up to six but then dolma doesn't conceive anymore, so Rachel comes up with another idea. She has another hand maiming Silbaugh and she says how about if we use soap to have children. Silbaugh gives Jacob Gad and Asher. So now there are eight children for them through his first wife for them through maidens of Rachel then at that time Leah gets pregnant again twice is a char and Zebulun, now we have 10 tribes, 10 sons and then finally Rachel gets pregnant and she is the first son, Joseph November.

She's the apple of his eye and now he has a son named Joseph and then she has a second son. She calls him Benway the reason she calls him Benway's. It means son of my misfortune or son of my sorrow because she dies in childbirth but Jacob doesn't like that name because of Benjamin, son of my right hand, the ideas of something positive out of this and that's how you get the 12 tribes of Israel. Six to Leah a white by deception for to maidens or slaves. Rachel to the Rachel of the 12 tribes. That's a soap opera. If you've ever heard of one in any culture but these become the 12 tribes and Jacob's name is changed to Israel. What a great name.

You see, no one can be so undeserving they do not qualify for the grace of God, and that's what God is showing here before you goes from bad to worse, I want you not to go to chapter 37 with me. Genesis 37. This was dysfunction long before anyone everyone knew the word dysfunction.

Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned in the land of Canaan and these are the records of the generations of Jacob, Joseph 117 years of age was pastoring the flock with his brothers while still youth along with the sons of Vilna and the sons of Zilpah.

His father's wives and Joseph brought back a bad report about them to the father. He's a snitch notice to go out there just do their job. He doesn't like something he said what we did.

That hears about this and he goes back and said let me tell you about what they did, often unable to stop there, but it doesn't. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons is a lot just like his dad in an interesting Isaac loved Esau more than he loved Jacob. Jacob now loved Joseph more than all his other children. Same problem. He says because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a very colored tunic all for that's what you need someone to let everyone your siblings know how much more God love you everybody in the family.

Worse, khaki, and this guy is in his multicolored tunic. Every day they get to see this, but his father made four minutes expensive because it dies at that time that loves me.

Best it gets worse. His brother saw that the father loved him more than all his brothers, and so they hated him and could not speak to him one from the terms so they won't even speak to them every time it's nasty and he knows that they hated him. So here's what he knows about it then. Joseph had a dream and when he told his brothers, they hated him even more.

He said to them, please listen to this dream which I've had for behold, we are binding sheaves in the field and although my she froze up and also stood erect and behold your sheaves gather rot and bow down to my she like me now. Remember, he's the youngest who would do that then his brother said him are you actually going to reign over us or are you really going to rule over us. So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words now.

I still had another dream, and he related it to his brothers and said hello.

I had another dream, and behold the sun and the moon, and 11 stars were bowing down before me. He related to his father and his brothers and his father rebuked him and said, what is this dream that you had show IN your mother and your brothers actually come and bow down ourselves before you to the ground. Yeah, everybody's bowing down before me. You kinda know what happens. The brothers although often they say were going to Shechem.

Joseph was told to go find your brothers a check in but on the way they were going to Shechem and went to Dothan and so someone tells Joseph they're not even there.

I'm sure they didn't want to let him know what it work as you don't snitch on and so consequently then went to Dothan. This will be pick up in verse 18 when they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them. They plotted against him to put him to death. Let's kill our brother Newman believes the 12 tribes. This is the basis of Israel, the people of God, and they said to one another.

Here comes this dreamer now then, let us kill him and throw him in one of the pits and we will say that a wild beast of our them, and then C what will become of his dreams. But Reuben heard this and rescued them out of the hand out of their hands and said let us not take his life. Reuben further said to them shed no blood, throw them into the pit that is in the wilderness but do not let your hands on him that he might rescue him out of their hands to restore them to his father is just Roman to pit up and back again later when the oldest so it came about when Joseph reached his brothers that they strip Joseph of his tunic, the very colored tunic that was on him, and they took him they threw him into a pit. Now the pit was empty without water in it and then they sat down to eat the meal knows all shook up. They are about this whole thing and they raise their eyes, they look and behold a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead with the camels bearing aromatic gum and Bohlman were on their way to bring them down to Egypt and Judah said to his brothers in a minute.

What profit is in it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood. Let's try to make money on this coming. So what we kill me get rid of a great book that we make a few bucks. Notice what exemplary guy.

Judy is any cyst, to sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother own flesh and his brothers listen to and then some. The median Midianite traders passed by, they pulled him up may lift Joseph out of the pit and he sold them to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver dust. Joseph was brought to pastoral on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world.

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