WEBVTT 0 00:00:04.890 --> 00:00:07.354 Welcome to the willow ridge sermons podcast. 1 00:00:07.482 --> 00:00:11.150 This is where you can find audio from sunday morning, messages and more. 2 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:14.442 Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss future episodes. 3 00:00:14.506 --> 00:00:16.030 And thanks for listening. 4 00:00:19.250 --> 00:00:20.800 Well, good morning again. 5 00:00:21.730 --> 00:00:25.880 Okay, you all got an extra hour of sleep, all right? 6 00:00:26.250 --> 00:00:28.102 So I need better than that. 7 00:00:28.156 --> 00:00:28.920 Good morning. 8 00:00:30.010 --> 00:00:32.166 See, let's just do that the first time every time. 9 00:00:32.188 --> 00:00:32.630 All right. 10 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:38.230 If you got your bibles, and I hope you do, please join me in genesis 21 and matthew five. 11 00:00:38.300 --> 00:00:40.682 All right, so put a little mark of matthew five. 12 00:00:40.736 --> 00:00:42.810 We're going to start off in genesis one. 13 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:48.860 As you turn there, I just heard in the announcements what my love language is. 14 00:00:50.770 --> 00:00:52.974 Y'all are laughing because y'all know what it is. 15 00:00:53.172 --> 00:00:53.630 Food. 16 00:00:53.700 --> 00:00:54.320 Right? 17 00:00:54.930 --> 00:00:57.066 Specifically cookies. 18 00:00:57.178 --> 00:00:57.598 Right. 19 00:00:57.684 --> 00:00:59.962 Dough night and jesus birthday. 20 00:01:00.026 --> 00:01:03.390 We're going to mesh that together, and that sounds like an awesome time. 21 00:01:03.460 --> 00:01:07.394 And I'm trying to figure out how we can have a men's ministry event that does the exact same thing. 22 00:01:07.432 --> 00:01:07.730 Right. 23 00:01:07.800 --> 00:01:09.310 So that was wonderful. 24 00:01:09.390 --> 00:01:10.722 Looking forward to that. 25 00:01:10.776 --> 00:01:18.918 So many things going on around our church as we get into this holiday season from now through the first of the year. 26 00:01:19.004 --> 00:01:22.630 And so you want to make sure that you're with us for those. 27 00:01:22.700 --> 00:01:27.266 I do want to reemphasize our missions night on november the 19th. 28 00:01:27.378 --> 00:01:28.822 This is our mission sunday. 29 00:01:28.886 --> 00:01:47.438 Several years ago, as god grew our mission strategy and our missions plan, we saw this wonderful opportunity to take a time during the year where we take that day and we focus in on what god is doing with our missions partners all over the world. 30 00:01:47.524 --> 00:01:51.390 And every day it has grown and it has expanded. 31 00:01:51.890 --> 00:01:54.442 This year we typically have one guest. 32 00:01:54.586 --> 00:02:02.770 And this year, as we kind of look to set that date, what we end up finding out is we're going to have five different guests that we're going to be able to come and join us. 33 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:05.362 And so you're going to want to be with us that day. 34 00:02:05.416 --> 00:02:14.306 Now, typically, our missions day has kind of been just in the evening, but this year it's going to be during our morning worship time and during our evening. 35 00:02:14.338 --> 00:02:16.870 So you're going to be here for the whole day. 36 00:02:16.940 --> 00:02:21.714 For a part of that, we're going to have sam john from india with his wife, susan. 37 00:02:21.762 --> 00:02:25.882 Sam's going to be here preaching with us that morning, opening up god's word. 38 00:02:26.016 --> 00:02:30.374 And then sam will be back with us, and susan will be working with our kids that evening. 39 00:02:30.422 --> 00:02:32.042 And so you'll want to be a part of that. 40 00:02:32.176 --> 00:02:40.826 We're going to have daryl cheeks from the philippines is going to be back with us that evening, we're going to have pastor walter valencia and his wife, veronica. 41 00:02:40.938 --> 00:02:46.974 We have recently begun, or formalized, I should say, our partnership with them. 42 00:02:47.092 --> 00:02:53.326 He pastors the church, iglesia bautista nueva vita, which is new life baptist church. 43 00:02:53.438 --> 00:02:56.066 And that's who we've been working with for coats for the city. 44 00:02:56.168 --> 00:03:05.910 And so instead of just going to new york and finding out what church we're going to work with, we've been excited to see that we can partner with them and then we can do multiple things throughout the year. 45 00:03:05.980 --> 00:03:08.390 And so they are going to be with us as well. 46 00:03:08.540 --> 00:03:10.886 Johnny rumbo is going to be with us. 47 00:03:10.988 --> 00:03:12.754 Johnny doesn't have to travel very far. 48 00:03:12.812 --> 00:03:16.150 Johnny works at lexington baptist association right across the street. 49 00:03:16.230 --> 00:03:29.882 And so as we look at what god is doing all over the world, we don't want to forget what god is doing here in our hometown and that we come alongside a group of baptist churches in our area to partner growth for the sake of the gospel. 50 00:03:30.026 --> 00:03:38.910 It's not just that we gather in our churches each week, but we have brothers and sisters in faith who gather together also each and every sunday. 51 00:03:38.990 --> 00:03:40.754 And we partner with them. 52 00:03:40.792 --> 00:03:47.714 We might not know their face, but we partner with them through our association, through our state, and through our national convention. 53 00:03:47.762 --> 00:03:55.270 And one of the things that I love about johnny and what johnny has been doing is christianity in the united states is declining. 54 00:03:57.210 --> 00:04:08.182 The average church member's age is getting older and not younger churches who ten years ago ran 100, 200, 300 people in their congregation. 55 00:04:08.326 --> 00:04:12.830 Many of them are running less than 30, if not have already closed their doors. 56 00:04:13.410 --> 00:04:22.990 And so what johnny and his ministry is doing is coming alongside and partnering with these churches to help them figure out a revitalization process. 57 00:04:23.140 --> 00:04:28.078 And what we've seen over and over and over again in towns in our communities. 58 00:04:28.174 --> 00:04:34.974 I know of two that I've recently talked to the pastors about in batesburg and in peelion who were walking through this. 59 00:04:35.032 --> 00:04:40.006 And now within a year, their congregations have doubled and tripled in size. 60 00:04:40.108 --> 00:04:53.740 And there was an instance where a church had not baptized a single person in ten years that after going through this revitalization process, had a sunday where they baptized five. 61 00:04:54.510 --> 00:04:55.162 Right? 62 00:04:55.296 --> 00:05:06.766 And so johnny's going to be here that evening also just to talk about what revitalization looks like and how we at willow ridge are coming alongside other churches to support that work all over our community. 63 00:05:06.868 --> 00:05:10.974 And then we're going to have rodney ogle and his wife from black mountain children's home. 64 00:05:11.012 --> 00:05:14.254 We know it's a place that a lot of us especially our youth have been at. 65 00:05:14.292 --> 00:05:15.610 And they know rodney. 66 00:05:15.690 --> 00:05:23.314 And you'll recognize rodney when I tell you when he walks in the door, because he's going to walk in here and by far be the tallest guy walking in. 67 00:05:23.352 --> 00:05:23.650 Right. 68 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:26.562 And rodney's going to be with us that day as well. 69 00:05:26.616 --> 00:05:32.710 Just to talk about black mountain children's home, all the things that they're a part of, all the things of how we've worked with them. 70 00:05:32.780 --> 00:05:35.926 It'll be a wonderful opportunity for us to do that. 71 00:05:35.948 --> 00:05:37.238 So here's what we need for you. 72 00:05:37.324 --> 00:05:39.426 We want to make this day special. 73 00:05:39.548 --> 00:05:40.330 All right? 74 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:46.090 Now, a few months ago, I shared the story that I went to mcdonald's. 75 00:05:46.910 --> 00:05:49.818 I took some heat about that later, people making fun of me. 76 00:05:49.824 --> 00:05:53.390 And I love for mcdonald's big mac value meal. 77 00:05:54.130 --> 00:05:55.600 You know what it cost me? 78 00:05:56.610 --> 00:06:00.000 $12, right? 79 00:06:01.650 --> 00:06:03.970 No, $12. 80 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:05.166 That's expensive. 81 00:06:05.358 --> 00:06:13.540 That means for my family of four to eat at mcdonald's be $48. 82 00:06:14.230 --> 00:06:18.020 Now, if you go to chickfila, that's like going to hall's chop house. 83 00:06:19.190 --> 00:06:20.950 It's getting expensive quick. 84 00:06:21.100 --> 00:06:23.362 Well, here's what we want to do to help you out with your budget. 85 00:06:23.426 --> 00:06:24.246 All right? 86 00:06:24.428 --> 00:06:28.066 That night at 05:00 we're gonna have a dinner. 87 00:06:28.258 --> 00:06:34.634 We're gonna have a dinner together as a church family, and we're going to, as a church, we're going to provide the food. 88 00:06:34.672 --> 00:06:41.520 But here's what we'd like for you to do through going online and registering, we're going to ask that we're going to sell tickets to this for $5. 89 00:06:42.050 --> 00:06:45.194 Way cheaper and way better than mcdonald's. 90 00:06:45.242 --> 00:06:45.934 Right. 91 00:06:46.132 --> 00:06:51.242 And I know this is offensive to some of you, but way cheaper and way better than chickfila. 92 00:06:51.306 --> 00:07:00.674 All right, we're going to have dinner here that evening, and all of the money that we raise are going to go straight to our missions partners to. 93 00:07:00.712 --> 00:07:02.910 Help them continuing and share the gospel. 94 00:07:03.070 --> 00:07:05.170 We're going to gather together as a church family. 95 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:08.814 We're going to hear as a large group from several missionaries. 96 00:07:08.862 --> 00:07:18.454 But then we're going to break into groups and go around and have individual times where we can talk to these missionaries as well and hear about the story and the work and all that god is doing. 97 00:07:18.492 --> 00:07:22.214 And so we want to challenge you to be a part of that with us. 98 00:07:22.332 --> 00:07:30.938 We are going to have a special thing for our kids ministry where they're going to go and they're going to have the opportunity to interact with missionaries and do some activities with them. 99 00:07:31.024 --> 00:07:33.482 Our youth are going to be a part of that night as well. 100 00:07:33.536 --> 00:07:41.694 So there is literally something that we are going to be providing that evening for every age in our church and would love for you to be a part of that. 101 00:07:41.732 --> 00:07:42.718 We need you to go online. 102 00:07:42.804 --> 00:07:44.622 We need you to register for that. 103 00:07:44.756 --> 00:07:48.674 And if you've got any questions about that, you can see dave or myself at the end of the service. 104 00:07:48.792 --> 00:07:50.242 Now, at the end of that night. 105 00:07:50.296 --> 00:07:50.562 Right. 106 00:07:50.616 --> 00:07:55.458 Speaking of desserts and love languages, we're going to have a dessert fellowship time where we'll gather together. 107 00:07:55.544 --> 00:07:57.522 All the missionaries will be in here in the room. 108 00:07:57.576 --> 00:08:04.118 We'll all be here in the room eating cookies and cheesecake and brownies and all those wonderful things, because we're going to ask that you bring some of those. 109 00:08:04.204 --> 00:08:08.834 Just remember, chocolate chip cookies never are wrong, and neither is banana pudding. 110 00:08:08.882 --> 00:08:09.640 All right? 111 00:08:10.170 --> 00:08:13.754 I know that's typically a summertime thing, but that isn't really in god's word. 112 00:08:13.792 --> 00:08:15.898 So we can have it in november as well. 113 00:08:15.984 --> 00:08:16.586 All right. 114 00:08:16.688 --> 00:08:19.366 And so we want to have that time together, and you'll be able to mingle. 115 00:08:19.398 --> 00:08:23.594 And if you got any more questions, just a wonderful, wonderful time of being able to do that. 116 00:08:23.632 --> 00:08:26.000 So want to provide you with that opportunity. 117 00:08:26.450 --> 00:08:30.078 At the very end of the service, we will partake in the lord's supper together. 118 00:08:30.164 --> 00:08:32.766 And so we hope that you will join us with that as well. 119 00:08:32.788 --> 00:08:35.422 And we'll give instructions at the very end. 120 00:08:35.556 --> 00:08:39.138 So our message will be a little brief this morning. 121 00:08:39.304 --> 00:08:42.930 I had to cut the message a little short last week from what we'd prepared. 122 00:08:43.590 --> 00:08:51.426 Next week, we're going to look at genesis chapter 22, where god calls abraham to sacrifice isaac. 123 00:08:51.618 --> 00:09:16.350 But sandwiched in between this narrative of hagar and ishmael that we looked at in 21, and abraham and isaac in 22, there's an interaction that god gives us in his word between abraham, a man named abimelak, and fico. 124 00:09:18.050 --> 00:09:22.722 Let's kind of get some understanding of what we're looking at right here. 125 00:09:22.776 --> 00:09:32.158 Now, we had read about a man named abimelek in genesis chapter 20, but the name abimelek means king. 126 00:09:32.254 --> 00:09:36.162 All right, so this may be the same abimelek in chapter 20. 127 00:09:36.216 --> 00:09:37.298 Genesis chapter 20. 128 00:09:37.384 --> 00:09:38.114 But it may not. 129 00:09:38.152 --> 00:09:39.250 It may be the same king. 130 00:09:39.330 --> 00:09:41.110 It may be a different king. 131 00:09:41.530 --> 00:09:48.278 The name fico is the name that would be given to the lead officer or the general of an army. 132 00:09:48.374 --> 00:10:01.050 So here's what I want us to kind of understand as we walk into genesis chapter 21, we have abraham meeting with a general and a king. 133 00:10:01.790 --> 00:10:05.246 Now, I don't know if you've ever been in that kind of situation. 134 00:10:05.428 --> 00:10:06.670 But I haven't. 135 00:10:07.570 --> 00:10:09.454 But this is a big deal. 136 00:10:09.492 --> 00:10:17.010 I feel like if it's the king and the general and they're calling someone to meet together, this is a meeting of high importance. 137 00:10:17.750 --> 00:10:20.594 And this is what abraham gets called to. 138 00:10:20.632 --> 00:10:22.462 And they're here to settle a dispute. 139 00:10:22.526 --> 00:10:25.460 So let's read verses 22 through 34. 140 00:10:25.990 --> 00:10:35.400 It says, at that time abimelek and fico, the commander of his army, said to abraham, god is with you in all that you do. 141 00:10:36.010 --> 00:10:44.838 Now therefore swear to me here by god that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity. 142 00:10:44.934 --> 00:10:52.170 But as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned. 143 00:10:52.250 --> 00:10:54.538 And abraham said, I will swear. 144 00:10:54.634 --> 00:10:55.886 Verse 25. 145 00:10:56.068 --> 00:11:07.474 When abraham reproved abimelek about a well of water that abimelek servants has seized, abimelek said, I do not know who has done this thing. 146 00:11:07.672 --> 00:11:09.170 You did not tell me. 147 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:12.466 I have not heard of it until today. 148 00:11:12.648 --> 00:11:14.900 You kind of feel that tension right there. 149 00:11:15.290 --> 00:11:20.626 So abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to abimelech. 150 00:11:20.738 --> 00:11:22.722 And the two men made a covenant. 151 00:11:22.866 --> 00:11:24.022 Abraham set seven. 152 00:11:24.076 --> 00:11:24.306 Ooh. 153 00:11:24.338 --> 00:11:26.450 Lambs on the flock apart. 154 00:11:26.610 --> 00:11:31.910 And abimelech said to abraham, what is the meaning of these seven lambs that you have set apart? 155 00:11:31.990 --> 00:11:39.242 And he said, these seven lambs that taken from my hand that this may be a witness for me, that I dug this well. 156 00:11:39.376 --> 00:11:46.282 Therefore, that place was called beersheba because there both of them swore an oath. 157 00:11:46.426 --> 00:11:49.082 So they made a covenant at beersheba. 158 00:11:49.146 --> 00:11:56.530 And when abimelech and fico, the commander of his army, rose up and returned to the land of the philistines. 159 00:11:56.870 --> 00:12:05.494 And abraham planted a tamarisk tree in beersheba and called there on the name of the lord, the everlasting god. 160 00:12:05.612 --> 00:12:11.510 And abraham sojourned many days in the land of the philistines. 161 00:12:12.010 --> 00:12:15.030 So here we see this interaction. 162 00:12:15.850 --> 00:12:24.666 We see abraham that we've been looking at for many chapters that has had these interactions, has had these conflicts both with people within his family. 163 00:12:24.768 --> 00:12:26.678 We've seen the conflict within himself. 164 00:12:26.774 --> 00:12:36.910 And then we see this conflict that abraham is having over this well with people who are outside of his people, with people who are outside of his faith. 165 00:12:37.330 --> 00:12:51.330 And I think it's a very interesting interaction because I don't know about you, but I've never had an argument over a well, I don't know about you, but I've never settled an argument with lambs. 166 00:12:52.070 --> 00:12:57.400 And I don't know about you, but I've never had an argument with a king or a general. 167 00:12:58.890 --> 00:13:19.290 But in this, what we find is you and I, on a daily basis, engage with people who are not followers of jesus and how we walk through that matters. 168 00:13:20.130 --> 00:13:26.430 But more importantly, who we are leading up to that matters. 169 00:13:28.690 --> 00:13:35.860 And what we see in here in abraham, is the evidence of a relationship. 170 00:13:36.710 --> 00:13:38.340 The evidence of a relationship. 171 00:13:39.030 --> 00:13:40.420 I want to say this. 172 00:13:41.670 --> 00:14:00.010 When people talk about religion in general, people who are christians and not christians, you'll hear something said often, that there's nothing more private or more personal than someone's religion and someone's politics. 173 00:14:00.830 --> 00:14:05.340 Well, it's very easy to hear people talk about politics, right. 174 00:14:06.510 --> 00:14:14.590 But we still have this mindset that we want to safeguard and that my faith is private. 175 00:14:15.730 --> 00:14:18.240 Here's what I want to say with that this morning. 176 00:14:18.930 --> 00:14:23.220 Your relationship with god is intended to be personal. 177 00:14:24.150 --> 00:14:25.780 It's between you and him. 178 00:14:27.750 --> 00:14:31.170 But it's never intended to be private. 179 00:14:32.230 --> 00:14:38.390 In fact, just the opposite of what we're called to in our faith with jesus. 180 00:14:38.890 --> 00:14:43.014 My relationship with jesus, it's a personal relationship. 181 00:14:43.212 --> 00:14:44.150 Here's what that means. 182 00:14:44.220 --> 00:14:47.110 I don't ride the coattails of my wife's relationship. 183 00:14:47.260 --> 00:14:49.660 I don't ride the coattails of your relationship. 184 00:14:50.030 --> 00:14:57.270 My relationship with jesus is between me and him, that he is my savior, my lord. 185 00:14:57.350 --> 00:15:00.942 I understand what he has done and my response to him. 186 00:15:00.996 --> 00:15:01.982 That is personal. 187 00:15:02.116 --> 00:15:06.446 We talk, we commune, we grow a relationship together. 188 00:15:06.548 --> 00:15:12.978 The challenge is that for you and for me in that, that our relationship, that god knows me. 189 00:15:13.064 --> 00:15:14.980 He calls me by name. 190 00:15:15.830 --> 00:15:17.762 He knows me better than you. 191 00:15:17.896 --> 00:15:19.860 He knows me better than me. 192 00:15:20.630 --> 00:15:23.634 My relationship with him is personal, but. 193 00:15:23.672 --> 00:15:27.938 My relationship with him has never intended to be private. 194 00:15:28.034 --> 00:15:31.350 Notice the first thing abimelech says to abraham. 195 00:15:31.850 --> 00:15:33.586 He says, here's what I've noticed. 196 00:15:33.698 --> 00:15:35.880 God is with you in all that you do. 197 00:15:37.210 --> 00:15:40.780 God is with you in all that you do. 198 00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:52.430 Whether people know you or know of you, there is no greater information that they can know about you than your relationship with jesus. 199 00:15:53.410 --> 00:15:58.320 And so what we're going to see is this conflict that's there. 200 00:15:58.690 --> 00:16:09.140 But what we want to draw, that this truth of this foundation that's going to walk through this conflict is this, that abraham is a man of god. 201 00:16:09.750 --> 00:16:14.590 It is seen, it is cleared, it is evident, and it is believed. 202 00:16:14.750 --> 00:16:21.030 And what abimelech knows, that nothing in scripture points toward this man walking with god. 203 00:16:21.100 --> 00:16:22.114 Abimelech. 204 00:16:22.242 --> 00:16:31.254 But what he knows is that this man, abraham, has such a true relationship with god that it determines his character. 205 00:16:31.302 --> 00:16:34.890 And his actions and that it's evident. 206 00:16:35.710 --> 00:16:40.526 Abimelech has seen this in abraham, that. 207 00:16:40.548 --> 00:16:49.280 He has this personal relationship with god that is clear and evident in who he is. 208 00:16:50.450 --> 00:16:57.106 And so what we see, what we're going to draw from, and go ahead and you can kind of hold out there in genesis 21, but jump to. 209 00:16:57.128 --> 00:16:59.266 Matthew five, as we can see that. 210 00:16:59.288 --> 00:17:01.380 It'S a relationship that's seen by others. 211 00:17:01.990 --> 00:17:04.420 The evidence of a relationship with christ. 212 00:17:04.890 --> 00:17:07.400 Is a relationship that is seen by others. 213 00:17:09.210 --> 00:17:17.558 Jesus on the sermon of the mount says in matthew 514, you are a light of the world. 214 00:17:17.644 --> 00:17:30.640 A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 215 00:17:31.810 --> 00:17:32.602 Verse 16. 216 00:17:32.666 --> 00:17:34.766 Look at this in the same way. 217 00:17:34.948 --> 00:17:47.090 Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. 218 00:17:47.670 --> 00:17:51.410 I love this picture of what jesus gives. 219 00:17:51.560 --> 00:18:04.082 In fact, when I talk with families as we're going through our baby steps, of what it looks like to raise up and have family discipleship in your home, this is the passage that I give of what it looks like to parents. 220 00:18:04.146 --> 00:18:04.626 Like parents. 221 00:18:04.658 --> 00:18:07.286 You want to see what your calling is? 222 00:18:07.388 --> 00:18:10.330 Do you want to see what god has for you? 223 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.962 Then take verse 16 and live this out. 224 00:18:14.096 --> 00:18:31.454 Let your light shine for christ in such a way that your kids see all of who you are, that your kids see all of what you do, that your kids see all of what you say, and that in that they see the goodness in you and give. 225 00:18:31.492 --> 00:18:37.220 Glory to god in heaven because of it. 226 00:18:38.470 --> 00:18:43.454 The question is this, we're all shining. 227 00:18:43.502 --> 00:18:44.260 A light. 228 00:18:46.410 --> 00:18:48.310 But what light are you shining? 229 00:18:49.850 --> 00:18:55.910 We're all shining a light, but what light are you shining? 230 00:18:57.870 --> 00:19:01.754 Jesus gives us a test here to. 231 00:19:01.792 --> 00:19:10.060 Test our light, to examine ourselves, to see the evidence of a relationship with him. 232 00:19:10.770 --> 00:19:14.298 He says, number one, when you're shining. 233 00:19:14.314 --> 00:19:17.920 The light of christ, number one, people see your good works. 234 00:19:18.290 --> 00:19:19.600 People see them. 235 00:19:20.290 --> 00:19:23.540 It doesn't mean that you're telling others about them. 236 00:19:24.150 --> 00:19:26.018 It doesn't mean that you're boasting in. 237 00:19:26.024 --> 00:19:27.540 All the things that you do. 238 00:19:28.230 --> 00:19:30.850 The people see who you are. 239 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:33.460 They notice who you are. 240 00:19:33.830 --> 00:19:38.198 And then the second thing, because of the faithfulness of your testimony, what do. 241 00:19:38.204 --> 00:19:39.240 They do with that? 242 00:19:40.090 --> 00:19:41.560 What do they do with that? 243 00:19:42.330 --> 00:19:59.900 They give glory to god, because who you are in the gospel doesn't conflict, because who I am in christ is evident, and I live a life of glory to him. 244 00:20:01.710 --> 00:20:08.880 Benelek says to abraham, there's evidence of god in all that you do. 245 00:20:09.570 --> 00:20:14.900 The second thing is that it's a relationship believed by others. 246 00:20:15.590 --> 00:20:16.978 Believed by others. 247 00:20:17.144 --> 00:20:19.986 We have been given truth, and we. 248 00:20:20.008 --> 00:20:22.930 Are called to be people of truth. 249 00:20:24.550 --> 00:20:30.680 Abimelech says to abraham, this is who I know you to be. 250 00:20:31.370 --> 00:20:32.840 This is what I've seen. 251 00:20:33.530 --> 00:20:35.590 This is what I've experienced. 252 00:20:36.730 --> 00:20:40.940 Now say to me, let me hear the words. 253 00:20:42.110 --> 00:20:49.420 Say to me that you will deal truthfully and kindly with me. 254 00:20:50.530 --> 00:20:52.480 And abraham says, I will. 255 00:20:53.490 --> 00:21:04.500 And here's what happens as they walk through the conflict, as they walk through the issues that's there. 256 00:21:05.590 --> 00:21:11.570 Abimelech knows and trust in the character of abraham. 257 00:21:12.230 --> 00:21:27.240 And then as they form this covenant together, this covenant that abraham would have understand the power of this as he's walked through the covenants that god has made with him. 258 00:21:27.950 --> 00:21:33.740 Abimelech says, if you say this, I believe this. 259 00:21:34.910 --> 00:21:51.950 And here's the pattern of what we're finding in abraham, that what he believes and has experienced in his relationship with god determines his character. 260 00:21:52.790 --> 00:21:59.620 And this character provides the foundation for the truthfulness of his words. 261 00:22:01.270 --> 00:22:04.420 Jesus says in matthew 533 through 37. 262 00:22:05.690 --> 00:22:16.950 Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the lord what you have sworn. 263 00:22:18.010 --> 00:22:35.386 But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of god, or by the earth, for it is the footstool, or by jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. 264 00:22:35.578 --> 00:22:37.534 And do not take an oath by. 265 00:22:37.572 --> 00:22:42.720 Your head, for you cannot make one hair, white or black. 266 00:22:43.430 --> 00:22:48.980 Let what you say simply be yes or no. 267 00:22:49.830 --> 00:22:53.970 Anything more that comes from this is evil. 268 00:22:54.390 --> 00:22:59.046 So really quickly, jesus is quoting the. 269 00:22:59.068 --> 00:23:02.920 Mosaic law in the first verse in verse 33. 270 00:23:03.610 --> 00:23:16.970 And then what jesus is going to do is he's going to move this from a character practice of what we do, but to who we are in our integrity. 271 00:23:17.390 --> 00:23:27.214 See, the mosaic law forbid anyone to do irreverent oaths, specifically oaths that dealt with the lord's name, which would have been common. 272 00:23:27.412 --> 00:23:31.214 Swear to me by the name of god. 273 00:23:31.412 --> 00:23:34.418 Swear to me by this that this is true. 274 00:23:34.584 --> 00:23:38.066 And then, because you will swear to this, then I'll believe it. 275 00:23:38.168 --> 00:23:46.258 And then people would use this in irreverent manners, and they would bring these oaths into everyday conversations. 276 00:23:46.354 --> 00:23:50.854 And so, as jesus builds on this, here's what jesus is saying. 277 00:23:50.972 --> 00:23:56.680 There is no need for you to swear by an oath before you speak. 278 00:23:57.470 --> 00:23:58.220 Why? 279 00:23:58.990 --> 00:24:02.170 Why should this not be a concern for you? 280 00:24:02.320 --> 00:24:06.300 Because what you say should match who you are. 281 00:24:06.830 --> 00:24:11.542 That we are called to be people of truth in the gospel. 282 00:24:11.606 --> 00:24:14.718 And so what we communicate and what we say. 283 00:24:14.804 --> 00:24:16.922 We should be known as people of truth. 284 00:24:16.986 --> 00:24:22.560 So if you say you're going to do something in the application of this, do it. 285 00:24:23.030 --> 00:24:25.938 If you make a promise, keep it. 286 00:24:26.104 --> 00:24:29.060 If you make a deal, fulfill it. 287 00:24:30.310 --> 00:24:35.130 Let who we are determine our character. 288 00:24:35.230 --> 00:24:38.600 And our words in christ. 289 00:24:40.890 --> 00:25:01.040 Here's what I find, that we struggle with, that we let others determine who we are, what we say, how we respond, and not christ. 290 00:25:04.130 --> 00:25:11.806 Abraham doesn't walk into this going, well, here's how a pagan king and a. 291 00:25:11.828 --> 00:25:13.970 Pagan general take care of matters. 292 00:25:14.710 --> 00:25:16.660 So that's going to set my standard. 293 00:25:17.830 --> 00:25:19.460 Abraham says, no. 294 00:25:19.990 --> 00:25:27.720 Here's how a man of god responds, and he does. 295 00:25:29.450 --> 00:25:48.810 So we see abraham, a man of power, a man of influence, not a king, not a general, navigate through this, and then abraham's going to respond. 296 00:25:50.750 --> 00:25:52.110 He's going to respond. 297 00:25:53.010 --> 00:25:56.062 He doesn't run home and tell everybody. 298 00:25:56.116 --> 00:25:57.280 Look what I've done. 299 00:25:58.130 --> 00:26:01.358 He doesn't say to them as they leave, oh, I got you, and I. 300 00:26:01.364 --> 00:26:03.700 Can'T wait to get you again. 301 00:26:04.550 --> 00:26:05.780 What does he do? 302 00:26:06.150 --> 00:26:07.330 He worships. 303 00:26:07.990 --> 00:26:09.054 He worships. 304 00:26:09.182 --> 00:26:16.710 And so the last thing this morning about evidence of a relationship is relationship drives worship. 305 00:26:17.050 --> 00:26:18.978 Relationship drives worship. 306 00:26:19.154 --> 00:26:19.654 He does. 307 00:26:19.692 --> 00:26:22.950 Two things we'll talk about in closing. 308 00:26:23.530 --> 00:26:25.430 Number one, he plants a tree. 309 00:26:26.010 --> 00:26:29.674 He plants a tree, which is interesting for us, right? 310 00:26:29.872 --> 00:26:35.260 He plants a tree, and then he speaks to the name of god. 311 00:26:35.790 --> 00:26:37.610 So why does he plant a tree? 312 00:26:38.190 --> 00:26:39.810 He plants a tree. 313 00:26:39.990 --> 00:26:41.118 And you'll see this. 314 00:26:41.204 --> 00:26:53.380 In the old testament, planting a tree was showing devotion and recognition to someone who had done something for you that you could not do yourself. 315 00:26:54.230 --> 00:27:08.040 And so in this act of worship, what abraham is doing as he plants the tree, is he shows devotion and recognition to god as the source of what took place that day. 316 00:27:08.730 --> 00:27:16.502 In planting the tree, what abraham is acknowledging is that this goodness that just. 317 00:27:16.556 --> 00:27:29.370 Happened, this prosperity that just took place, this blessing that I will receive, it does not come from my mind, from my will, from my intellect. 318 00:27:30.210 --> 00:27:31.680 It comes from god. 319 00:27:32.850 --> 00:27:34.494 And then the bible tells us he. 320 00:27:34.532 --> 00:27:38.270 Calls on the name of the lord el olman. 321 00:27:38.770 --> 00:28:03.160 The first time that we see this name of god in scripture, and this name is declaring that god is the eternal god, the source of his salvation, that it's not the well that will save, but it's god who will save. 322 00:28:04.890 --> 00:28:18.090 And what we see in this moment as abraham drives forward, pushes forward, is that his relationship with god drives his worship. 323 00:28:18.590 --> 00:28:20.300 I want to ask you this question. 324 00:28:21.650 --> 00:28:23.550 What drives your worship? 325 00:28:24.690 --> 00:28:26.510 What drives your worship? 326 00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:42.680 For the worship team, I don't know if you all did that on purpose. 327 00:28:43.580 --> 00:28:45.930 And I think you all know what I'm talking about. 328 00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:49.052 But when you all started that second. 329 00:28:49.106 --> 00:28:52.830 Song, I could hear you sing. 330 00:28:53.840 --> 00:29:08.080 But what was resounding was I heard the men and women of this church as a 200 piece choir singing before the lord. 331 00:29:11.340 --> 00:29:22.700 And what I believe was happening in that moment was not because we liked the song. 332 00:29:24.560 --> 00:29:27.890 It wasn't because the right note was hit. 333 00:29:29.620 --> 00:29:45.350 It's because what came from in that moment and what was driving us was men and women and children worshipping god. 334 00:29:46.600 --> 00:30:06.910 Not out of an emotion, not out of a simple feeling, not out of a preference, but out of a relationship with him, a real personal relationship with him. 335 00:30:07.760 --> 00:30:16.240 And what happened in that moment were the saints glorifying the king. 336 00:30:20.180 --> 00:30:26.050 I say this to you as for the last five days, god has said this to me. 337 00:30:29.080 --> 00:30:38.070 Sometimes I get in here, and a song just doesn't hit the way that I would like for it to. 338 00:30:39.640 --> 00:30:48.410 Sometimes I get in here, believe it or not, and the message just don't work the way that I need it to. 339 00:30:50.540 --> 00:31:05.630 And what god reminds me in those moments is the issue when the songs don't feel right, when the message just doesn't speak to me. 340 00:31:07.380 --> 00:31:09.970 It's not the truth of the lyrics that we sing. 341 00:31:11.060 --> 00:31:14.800 It's not the truth of god's word that we proclaim. 342 00:31:15.780 --> 00:31:18.900 It's not the true and holy king. 343 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:34.970 The issue in that moment where it doesn't land the way that I need to and takes away from my worship is me, is me, is me. 344 00:31:35.980 --> 00:31:45.480 And in that moment, the relationship is not driving my worship, my preferences. 345 00:31:47.440 --> 00:32:05.650 And I look at this with abraham as he comes into an area, and he says, god, all of this, all of this is about you. 346 00:32:06.980 --> 00:32:12.644 May our worship be evidence of. 347 00:32:12.682 --> 00:32:13.940 Not our preference. 348 00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:20.150 Would our worship be evidence of our relationship? 349 00:32:23.820 --> 00:32:38.300 In just a minute, the band will come up on stage and we'll partake in the lord's supper after they lead us in a time of worship, in a time of response. 350 00:32:40.320 --> 00:32:42.750 This is my favorite sunday of the month. 351 00:32:43.600 --> 00:32:47.984 We get to celebrate all that god's done in the life of an individual. 352 00:32:48.102 --> 00:32:56.210 Or individuals, but then we get to celebrate all that jesus has done for us. 353 00:32:56.980 --> 00:33:01.140 We get to worship him by acknowledging. 354 00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:04.260 The work that he did on the cross. 355 00:33:05.320 --> 00:33:10.740 And we celebrate because the tomb is empty. 356 00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:23.610 If you're a follower of jesus christ and you are here with us today, whether this is your church home or not, we want to invite you to partake in the lord's supper with us. 357 00:33:23.980 --> 00:33:27.436 If you haven't grabbed some of the elements as you came in. 358 00:33:27.458 --> 00:33:28.524 We want to invite you to. 359 00:33:28.562 --> 00:33:35.804 During this response time there at the very back of the auditorium, we want to invite you to do that for all of us. 360 00:33:35.842 --> 00:33:38.444 We would ask that this not be something that we do lightly. 361 00:33:38.492 --> 00:33:52.310 This would not be something that we rush into, but that as we enter into worship, we ask, under the dependence of the holy spirit, if our hearts are ready to partake in this together. 362 00:33:53.080 --> 00:34:08.090 We want to use this time to check our hearts for any unrepentant sin that we may have and to spend that time before the lord in repentance for our failures as we've disobeyed him. 363 00:34:08.540 --> 00:34:19.150 But also we would ask that we check our hearts and our relationships, especially with other believers, and ask ourselves these two questions. 364 00:34:19.600 --> 00:34:23.016 Number one, is there anyone that I need to forgive? 365 00:34:23.208 --> 00:34:26.850 Am I holding a grudge, animosity towards someone? 366 00:34:27.620 --> 00:34:36.130 And instead of waiting for them to ask for forgiveness between us and the lord, we release that and we forgive them. 367 00:34:36.660 --> 00:34:43.140 Or we ask ourselves the question, is there anyone that we need to seek their forgiveness? 368 00:34:43.720 --> 00:34:46.630 And if so, maybe we wait. 369 00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:57.544 Maybe we pause on partaking today until we have the opportunity to confess before them how we've wronged them. 370 00:34:57.742 --> 00:35:02.708 This isn't just something that we do, and this isn't something that we do lightly. 371 00:35:02.884 --> 00:35:08.604 This is something that we do in the recognition of who god is and who he's called us to be. 372 00:35:08.722 --> 00:35:16.636 Would you pray with me, god, we come to you today thanking you for who you are, lord, and for what you've done. 373 00:35:16.818 --> 00:35:22.210 Lord, I pray that as we go into this time of partaking in the lord's supper together. 374 00:35:22.580 --> 00:35:31.140 Lord, I pray through your power of your holy spirit, lord, that you would speak to us clearly, lord, you would bring us to a spot of repentance. 375 00:35:31.560 --> 00:35:34.470 Lord, may we evaluate and may we look. 376 00:35:35.160 --> 00:35:42.440 Do we line up with the man of character and integrity out of a relationship with god that we see in abraham? 377 00:35:43.900 --> 00:35:50.250 And if not, lord, bring us to our knees of repentance before you. 378 00:35:51.340 --> 00:36:06.928 Lord, as abraham worked to restore the relationship that was there to make the covenant that was there, lord, if there's someone that we need to forgive, if there's someone that we need to seek their forgiveness, lord, we pray that we. 379 00:36:06.934 --> 00:36:09.216 Would seek to do that so that. 380 00:36:09.238 --> 00:36:14.370 We could honor you in this act of worship that you've called us to. 381 00:36:15.220 --> 00:36:19.750 And lastly, lord, if there's anyone here, they don't know you. 382 00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:24.420 They don't know you as lord and savior. 383 00:36:27.320 --> 00:36:37.800 Lord, today our prayer is that they would place their faith, hope, and trust in jesus christ, that they would admit that they're a sinner. 384 00:36:40.860 --> 00:36:44.890 They would believe who christ is. 385 00:36:46.700 --> 00:36:50.700 They would confess him as their lord and savior. 386 00:36:51.680 --> 00:36:54.620 Lord, we'll give you all the praise. 387 00:36:55.200 --> 00:36:58.380 And all the honor and all the glory. 388 00:36:59.040 --> 00:37:00.620 In jesus name we pray. 389 00:37:05.520 --> 00:37:10.016 Thanks again for listening, and be sure to check back next week for another episode. 390 00:37:10.128 --> 00:37:17.840 In the meantime, you can visit us@willowridgechurch.Org or by searching for willowridge church on facebook, instagram and twitter.