Let Everything Go – Part 3

Praise God he understands he draws near and in the midst of your loneliness, your fear, his word will give you an awareness of his presence in your life you're listening to and Graham lots with living in the light of weekly message in her series from the life of Abraham. Abraham made choice after choice until he forged an intimate relationship with God that God acknowledged as a friendship and's desire is to know God is Abraham to God and make him known to you. He knows you and therefore when he speaks, he speaks relevantly and personally and clearly. We also understand you and we find the understands Abraham exactly where Abraham is inside the secret places that Abraham is share with anybody what the secrets in your heart are the secrets in your mind what you think about how you feel you share with anybody but God and understand it comes to Abram. Abram, do not be afraid.

You know, we would have no clue Abram was afraid Woodley he went through and swept out those games.

He looked only confident powerful in charge told off the king of Sodom and he comes that you have not actually walked to the dance shoulders were squared. His head was opulent, noble, confident in charge. Only God would now his heart was beating his chest and he was terrified of the retaliation and that these kings were going to come back and wipe them out, and I wonder if he was terrified. Even in a deeper way. God have spontaneously responded to this emergency crisis in a way that's going to thwart your will from alive.

Barely going to come back and kill me before I can have a son, and all these offspring of the sentence and be a blessing and have essay doing all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Have I done something is going to keep me from fulfilling the potential in your secret fear like that you think that you have done something to thwart God's will for your life. You think you've done something that's cost you your potential and is and you haven't told anybody but down deep you're afraid maybe there's some other fear is of God comes and says Abram. Don't be afraid and true God's word. He gave a prime piece just like he did me last week and this week through God's word he spoke in my life and gave me his P God will give you his peace. He understands your secret fearfulness and he gives you his peace and understands our secret loneliness. He comes to Abram and he says I am and that's the word that God used for himself in the name God used for himself No. 1 Well is this was at the burning bush, God, and I want to go tell Pharaoh to let my people go.

And Moses said whom shall I say you sent me and God said, I am. And that's the name for the everlasting father that describes the eternity of God is not someone who was so much and is and is to come. He is that I am fully present in the past, present, future. Every generation in and are you lonely you think of Abraham after Lot separated from them and lots gone the Sodom and he has all the things in the position the prestige and the possessions and the whole point of Jordan and Abram stuck in a tent under a tree in the desert all by himself and is just feeling walked over and left alone and is there loneliness that's crept into his life. Abram kept giving up everything gave up everything the lot. Now he's given up everything to the king of Sodom and he just keeps giving it all up doesn't and he has nothing to show for it and he keeps giving up and letting it go and what does he have but attends under a tree in the desert.

Maybe I should just tell you if you embrace the magnificent Obsession of knowing God and making him known there going to be moments of intense loneliness because I would expect the majority of people even within your church are not embracing the magnificent Obsession they're not putting God first and I don't mean to be critical. Maybe I should say church. Generally speaking, as I'm sure you come from a wonderful church, but in many churches were the majority of people are just tacking got on to their lives in churches like a holy hobby.

You know it's not Obsession you come back obsessed with knowing God making you going to be by yourself and his aloneness and I think Abram was feeling very alone. He kept giving up and getting walked over by law giving up getting walked over by the King of sound just letting things go and have nothing to show for it. And God comes and says Abram and you may have given up all of that but I am in your life. I am present and he gave Abram a sense of express and he knew Abram secrets not only his loneliness but his weakness because he says I am your shield and Abram must've been feeling very vulnerable. Very exposed. Sort of like a sitting duck is the better one chieftain and he's got his wife there and his servants in his livestock and he knows he's just sitting there so obvious in the middle of the desert knows kings come back and wipe them out. Are you feeling vulnerable. Are you just overwhelmed with a sense of your own weakness and inadequacy. Every time I step into. I'm overwhelmed with a sense of weakness.

Every time I sit in front of a TV camera and I got a little peace in my ear I'm just looking at the camera lens have no idea the questions are going to ask and millions of people are watching I feel overwhelmed with a sense of weakness in God is said and I am your shield, you can hide behind me then that wonderful that's what were learning to dissect the word and to present the word because you can just hide behind the word count. Many times when I've been here.

They hold my feet to the fire on some television talk show on Saturday and you mean you're saying that if you don't believe in Jesus you going to hell you say basically I'm going to hell. I remember lurking asking that he is Jewish and he sang and you're saying only people put their faith in Jesus will go to heaven and I said you know something Larry is not my idea is not what I say. That's what Jesus I just hide behind Jesus and Tom. This is God's word is his ideas what he said and when I give out the Scripture.

And I'm letting the Scripture speak. I can just hide behind the Scripture hide behind the word and God is your shield and God was coming to Abram's Abram help your protection and that vulnerable place when your overwhelmed of weakness and inadequacy. You just hide behind me now protect you and God comes. He knows your secret feelings of loneliness and fearfulness and weakness and he knows your secret feelings of emptiness.

He says I am your great rewards and here's Abram you know giving up everything and has nothing to show for it. And just that tense under the tree in Hebron, and God is Abram it's okay because you have me in your something if you have God's. What difference does it make if you don't have any thing else you know that lot have all the stuff we just God is saying to myself will be here exceeding great reward. I think he's promising you and me a relationship with him. That makes everything else pale in comparison. And so he's coming to Abraham, understanding the secrets of his heart.

One of the secrets in your heart. Things that you never tell anybody units one of the most precious evidences of the reality of the living Lord Jesus Christ.

When I haven't expressed something in my heart I have it said.

What's on my mind and open the Bible and God comes and speaks right to that very thing almost spooky except that it so precious and you can trust God with your fears because he knows you. He speaks relevantly, personally, clearly, any understand you. He addresses those secrets that you haven't expressed to anybody you can trust them also with your tears and Abraham doesn't say he's weeping but I just feel from the contents of these verses that he was saying this with tears running down his cheeks and is trusting God with the tears of his disappointment because he knew God set them back in chapter 12 that Abraham if you leave the Chaldees. I'm going to make you into a great nation, and then God said your offspring I will give this land that was 10 years before, and he's left everything behind the knees. Let everything go and he doesn't own any piece of land and he has no offspring and so you heard God's word but he just wasn't sure he understood God's word and he's beginning think the shed tears of disappointment and God.

And so he asked God some pretty tough questions in verse 20 sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless, and the one you will inherit my state is Eliezer of Damascus.

Nothing what he saying is something like this. God I want to believe that you know my inmost thoughts and you know the secrets of my hearts and I want to believe that you promised me your peace in your presence in your protection, but you're going to be my reward. But how can I believe when the last time you spoke to me and promise me something I'm still waiting for you haven't kept your word.

The last time you spoke to me. So God's you mean what you say and if you do, why haven't you fulfilled your promise to me why have left everything to pursue you and still have nothing to show for it. God making a fool of myself. Have you ever had that thought? And lot is just so successful.

Making a go of it, living a false, counterfeit life, but you know just seems so real because he seems to be getting sick and you don't have anything to show for it.

And so you asked God cannot take you at your words and making a fool of myself. That's a tough question is, and I think he asked that with tears streaming down his cheeks and then he just continues and this time I think you sobbing when you ask a troubled question.

He says in verse three. You've given me no children so serving in my household will be my heir. And you know what he's saying God what you are giving me is less than what Fox and I thought you were going to give me more than I could ever dream to think of duress or moribund thing to ask for Drew Thacker for the best for this you know I have a servant. I can leave him everything. But that's not what I thought.

You are promising and you telling me that I can't take your word literally that you speak symbolically or spiritually. This was a legal arrangement.

Are you telling me that you don't mean what you say and say what you mean that nouns and verbs are different in Scripture as some I went to interpret them in some mystical way. I thought I could take you at your word. I thought when you spoke to me you spoke to me literally. I thought you meant I would have a son for my own body, but have been a mistake and I just don't understand you have a troubled question like that.

Tears coming on your cheeks, sobs, choking your throat would you ask God's would you bring your questions to me. I think that it's a disservice that we do other Christians. When we say that you can't ask why because of your own, Esq. how will you ever get an answer in the last few years. Mahwah, questions of power and the tears streamed down my cheeks and I've been shopping sobs until finally I wrote it out a little book entitled why basing on John chapter 11 John chapter 11 Mary and Martha were praying for their brother Lazarus, Lord, the one whom you love is sick. Implied God please answer our prayer and healing do something about it. Intervene make him well.

They sent a message to Jesus so they were praying and Jesus was so he didn't say anything and he was still, he didn't do anything, and what they pray about didn't get better.

It went from bad to worse and Lazarus died. And through that passage as I study that passage revealed to me so many precious truths and I won't get sidetracked and going to that passage but bottom line. This was his answer to not rock question God, why haven't you answered my prayer plotting to intervene in the life of my loved one.

Five. You let the situation go from bad to worse, and you know what he said and trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me when you don't understand.

Just trust me because you know something God has a bigger picture in mind, the just answering my prayer the way I pray it given me what I want when I want it and he didn't want to heal Lazarus he was going to raise him from the day because he wanted to glorify himself in the life of Lazarus and Mary and Martha, and he was giving his disciples a life lesson.

If it is this the years that year they would've known Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead, that God raised Jesus from the dead. The very next week but I totally miss the life lesson so they went all that grief and turmoil.

When Jesus was crucified, but he was giving them visual and so he had a greater purpose in mind than just healing Lazarus and making them feel better and so sometimes when he doesn't answer our prayer is because he has a greater purpose in mind and we just have to trust and when we don't understand is Abraham he's challenging Abraham to just trust him and I believe this whole exercise, even of making Abram wait 25 years from the time he (as of the time he had Isaac 25 years, because God was developing his faith so they could giving sick and you are going to get answers like that. If you're asking questions to ask.

Respectfully and ask reveille don't get angry with him and don't get offended but you can cry and say God I just don't understand and then God may speak to you as you spoken to me. Maybe so. John 11 Mavis another passage of Scripture maybe is from Genesis 15, but I know God spoke to Abraham and you can bring your troubled tough questions to God. It doesn't offend you welcomes your questions. When this spoken reverently and respectfully. He may not answer right away may not answer the way you want them to answer answer. You wonder what promise. God is given you that he has yet to fulfill.

You still waiting because God is given your promise and your waiting in your waiting are you beginning to doubt its and you're disappointed in God and you beginning to doubt that you heard them writer that he meant what he said and you we are you thinking that's what he has promised you is less than what you thought and that what you wanted for yourself. Would've been more than what he wants to give you an deep in your hearts. You have these troubled tough questions. But in the end, you just have to trust them, and Abraham was bought to that point that he would just trust in God gave him some encouragement something on which to hang his little tendril of faith. Just like you did Martha. In John 11, when he said Martha I am the resurrection and the life.

Do you believe in this we gave her his word that she could hang her little face on and then when she refused to roll back the stone.

He said Martha did not tell you if you would believe you would see the glory of God.

In other words, Martha put your faith in my word, and so he gives now Abram.

The word on which he can put his faith. So once again, just a little encouragement so you might need to ask God to give you another promise to confirm the promise is Artie given you just encourage your faith is now. It comes in is a little bit more specific and he says in verse four.

This man Eliezer will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir. And he tells Abraham that he's going to have a son and it will be his own son and then he takes Abram outside the tent nieces Abram look up at the stars you know in the Middle Eastern sky were there no cities and no lights. The stars is so much more distinct.

It almost looks like the heavens of come down in the stars are so brilliant that you can see so many more than you can see where the lights of the city shine and so all of these stars is able music all of the stars count them if you can and you can't but you going to have more descendents than the stars in the sky and you know every time. From then on when Abram looked up at the sky. He was saying that sign, or that confirmation that God was going to keep his word. He was going to have a son that Sonny was going to have so many descendents. It would be as numerous as the stars of the sky all listen to me what God wants for you is nevertheless what you want for yourself. Maybe difference. Always more abundantly than you could think Abraham I'm not going to disappoint you. Bottom on down the road you are going to be overwhelmed with what I'm going to do in the course. It was after Abram's lifetime still had Isaac and he had those promises of God. He knew of God to give them as a God to give them descendents as numerous as the stars of the heaven and Abraham in verse six, believed God's and it was counted to him for righteousness. He just believed God, he just took God at his word.

Romans four. Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform any just believed God's word that he would give them a seed in it through that seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed in Galatians tells us in John tells us that Abraham could see through that promise that the promisee was not just Isaac and not a multitude of descendents, but it was the Messiah, the promisee of Genesis 315 who would take away our sin and bring us back in the right relationship with the creator. He saw through this promise a prophecy of the coming of Jesus and he believed God's word and it was credited to him for righteousness. He just put his faith in God's word and God's word and I want to stretch this. Maybe I am but I wonder from a New Testament point of view is this the moment when Abraham was actually innocence converted and made me wonder in the church today are other people who've left everything behind and are pursuing knowledge of God and the gotten off the fence and leaving on their failures in building our altars and their praying in the reading their Bibles and they let everything going to decide they want God more than they want the world and sodomy. They give up their rights, but could it be that some of those people have never actually been born again and have never put their faith in God and God alone and is never been credited to them for righteousness because they still think it's up to their self effort that got to do this and that got the study harder than to pray every day. Or, you know, still trusting a little bit in themselves and you have to trust God and God alone for your salvation and I think it's true because I taught Bible study Fellowship for 12 years and in that 12 year. We had several thousand people go through our class and I have had dozens, maybe hundreds of women and these are basically church women who thought they were Christians coming to the class in God's word came into their lives and they realize they had never put their faith in God and God alone for their salvation and you were born again after they came in the class. Just give me Jesus we target Christian women church women I should say in the coming to the arenas by the thousands every Friday night. I give an invitation for them to come to the cross and repent of their sin and claim Christ as their Savior and we've seen hundreds and thousands of women come to the cross and claim Christ as Savior and Sgt. share that with you. Maybe somebody here. When is that point in time that you confessed. You see, and you told God you were sorry and you put your faith in Jesus alone. Is your Savior believing he died on the cross for you and nobody else have not benefited you knew it was for you and you alone. He was raised from the dead to give you life you claim them for yourself and you put your faith in him and him alone not have any work that you've done none of your church activity or your reputation just in God's word when God said all of sin come short of his glory is a God that's in the house in the wages of sin is death got on know that I'm separated from you. Going to hell when I die, but the gift of God is eternal life, and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that if you place your faith in him you won't perish. You won't die you won't go to hell you have everlasting life you to put your faith in God's word that says if you confess your sin. He just to forgive you and cleanse you all unrighteousness and you don't have any feelings and for no other reason except God is so you confess your sin and you claim Christ as Savior and you invite him to come in your engine and is to say alone and I just throw that out there. Not only for you but I wonder in your Sunday school class in your church in your Bible study. Don't assume just because the people in your class or your church. Members of the church or call themselves Christians that they've been born again, tucking the gospel whenever you have a chance and give opportunity for people to put their faith in Jesus because I think there are many many people out there within the church walls who've never put their faith in Jesus and Jesus alone and they need to be challenged again until finally they come to that point where they get it they put their faith in God and he credits them. Now here's and with this final word. If after hearing this message in this moment you're not sure that God counts you righteous from his perspective. If you're not sure you're his child than right now. Pray the words of this prayer is your own dear God, I want to belong to you as your child confessed you that I'm a sinner. I choose to turn away from us in. I believe your word as it points to Jesus as my Savior. I believe that Jesus is your son who died on the cross for me John asking please forgive me and cleanse me of all my sin with his blood. I believe Jesus rose up from the dead to give me life. So I'm asking that you give to me eternal life right now I invite Jesus to come live inside of me. I surrender the control of my heart to him. From this day forward I choose to live my life for him to make him known a man and thank you and if you've prayed with him. Just let us know and Graham wants done for. There's a booklet will send you to help you in living your life for him to join us next week for living in the life