Turn the Cheek

Welcome to Sharper Sword, the publication ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

Lighthouse believes that individuals can reach their potential for the Lord as they grow in Christ.

We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, a good and faithful servant.

Let's join Pastor Doug Fisher as he preaches another important biblical message from the Word of God.

We all know it's uh a little easier to sing when things are going so well on the mountaintop, but uh that song said he wants to hear us sing when it's a little bit uh tempestuous and the waves are crashing around a little bit in the storm.

Uh take your Bible this morning, two scriptures to start with, Matthew 5.

Matthew chapter 5, please, and Romans chapter number 12.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 5 and Romans 12.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

I'm very, very excited about both the morning and the evening message tonight.

The reason being is I'm going to ask you to look at your Bible in just a little bit different way.

Not at the beginning of both messages, but right in the middle.

And so I'm really looking forward to seeing if we can uh see if I can portray that to you and see if that might open up uh sometimes another another way of looking at things helps to open up other scriptures.

So uh this morning and tonight at 5 30, different messages.

You're in Matthew chapter 5, you're holding your place in Romans chapter number 12.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Uh, good to see new people here with us today.

We hope we make you feel comfortable.

Uh, good to see people back visiting who's been with us before and then making new friends here, and we appreciate that.

You're holding in Matthew 5, Romans 12.

I want to read you a scripture that's not in either one of those, and I would like you to just listen.

Here's what it says in Timothy, 2 Timothy.

Yea.

And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer.

And the next word is persecution.

Yea.

It's not a it's not a suggestion, it's a statement, it's a fact.

And here's what God says factually.

I want you all to know something, and he starts it out with, yea.

What I'm telling you is true.

He says, All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, there's going to be some suffering along the way.

Now, because of that, he gives us some principles dealing with suffering, and he does not want us to misplace those principles in our life.

Here's another scripture I want to read you.

Here's what it says about this kind of suffering.

I find then a law.

Here's a rule, it's in Romans 7.

Here's a rule, here's a law.

That when I would do good, evil is present with me.

It just seems like every time I get to do something good and I'm living in Christ Jesus and I'm trying to walk in a godly way, something, something begins to happen that seems evil.

Now, the definition of evil, something that uh takes away our happiness.

I know you think of moral conduct, but if you look up the definition of evil, it's something that uh uh removes our peace and tranquility from within.

Evil is something that uh robs us, if you would, of our happiness.

It uh produces pain and distress.

I know there's moral evil, there's evil deeds, but evil in general, the noun speaks about that which would uh would remove the peace and the tranquility that we seek of the Lord.

And there's some rules about suffering that I want you to see today, and then I'll ask you to look at an illustration a little different way.

Look at Matthew chapter 5.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 5.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

So here's some rules that God begins to tell us, and Jesus is speaking, and he and he speaks this uh, if you would, in such a way that he puts this up front in his ministry.

When he enters into his ministry, he says, I want you to know something.

And he's gonna begin to change their mindset.

Look at Matthew chapter 5, verse number 38.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Ye have heard that it had been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Now, let's stop there for a moment.

If we were uh if we were all grown up in uh Jewish culture, we would have been taught in the Old Testament, it's an eye for an eye and it's a tooth for a tooth.

Here's what that means: someone does something to you, you go back, and you have the right to reimburse them with the same suffering.

If they take an eye from you, you take an eye from them.

If they take a tooth from you, you take a tooth from them.

And the Old Testament, if you would, that's so prevalent.

I'll read to you in Leviticus, and it says this breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

As he that hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

Uh let me put it in our terms.

Uh, repay, uh, payback.

Uh you can recompense in the Old Testament, evil for evil, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

Brethren, no longer is that God's plan or instruction.

And by the way, they don't contradict each other in this way.

In the New Testament, we are under grace.

We have the Holy Spirit of God in us, and we no longer are allowed to retaliate.

But I want you to know there's a lot of places in the Old Testament where God says, No, as an individual, you're not allowed to do that.

So sometimes he'll say a principle, but then he'll say to an individual, you will not do that.

You will not follow that.

I got to tell you though, in the New Testament, recompense or payback is not something that we should even have in our minds.

Would you agree with that?

Like this, and I'll put it in the vernacular that we understand.

Somebody cuts us off on the freeway, we don't follow them and cut them off back.

Oh, you can relate to that.

Come on.

Even though we think about it, I said we there.

We we've all been like, you know, the person swerving in and not, you know, and all the rest of that.

And uh, the idea is we're not allowed to follow them and say, I'll get you back.

Like at night putting on those bright lights on them, you know what I'm talking about.

The idea is no recompense at work, no recompense in the military, no payback.

The concept is be careful, don't get in trouble with the Lord, because we want God's blessing on us.

Would you agree with that?

So he says, you've heard before, it's an eye for an eye or tooth for tooth.

Verse 39, but I say unto you that ye shall, that ye resist not evil.

Isn't that an interesting statement?

Resist not evil.

When something is going to befall you that's going to take away your happiness, your peace, uh, your distress, your doing things as unto the Lord, he says, uh, that you resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Preacher, look, I came to church and all you're telling me is to turn the other cheek.

Stay with me just for a moment.

That's harder to do in circumstances when someone has really used you in me.

Maybe even lied, misrepresented, and you know you almost feel abused, and you're saying that the Lord says, okay, you did it on this side, I've got one left.

Go ahead and do it on that side, too.

Because what he says is that you resist not evil, and be careful about that.

I understand, resist the devil, and that will flee from you.

I get all that, but in this case, there's certain things where evil is going to come upon us, and God says, just let it happen.

And don't figure out how you can pay him back.

Because sometimes God brings upon us something that's heavy.

Sometimes there's heaviness for a season orchestrated by God.

And he says, in those days when you have that heaviness and it's for a season, and I'm using that for some way, shape, or form, don't resist that that takes you away from your peace and tranquility, but allow it to come.

But whatever you do, don't get in the flesh, live godly, because those that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer, and when you would do good, evil will come.

It's going to happen.

And when that comes, have this mindset.

Don't render evil for evil.

Look at Romans chapter number 12.

Romans 12, and then we're going to go into a scripture illustration that I'm going to ask you to think just a little differently on.

Romans chapter number 12.

Watch the principle because he really takes time in the New Testament to bear this out.

Like in Romans chapter 12, uh verse number 12, he says, uh, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

Uh, continuing instant in prayer.

And he goes on down, and uh and he says this, verse number 17, recompense to no man evil for evil.

If they take away your peace, your tranquility, your harmony, if they impair your happiness, you have no right to go back and do that to them as a Christian.

What was in the Old Testament is not in the new.

Provide things honest in the sight of men.

Verse number 19, dearly beloved, that's us, avenge not yourself.

Rather, give place unto the wrath.

For it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will pay, saith the Lord.

And then verse number 21 is the principle, be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

So let's put it all together.

Uh resist not evil, but don't become over, don't let evil overcome you.

Overcome evil with good.

Let me say this to you again.

And by the way, uh, please, please, please, don't think I'm one human teaching another human.

This is the Holy Ghost teaching all of us.

I'm included in this.

I'm I'm I'm like stuff that goes on in my life.

So he says, look, uh, when you come into something that's going to take away your peace and your tranquility and your happiness, uh, don't resist it, but don't let it have you.

Don't be overcome of it.

Don't resist it, but don't let it have you, and don't be overcome of it, and you're not allowed to render back evil in repayment or payback.

You just take it to the Lord and give it to the Lord.

And if I want to avenge, I'll avenge.

But I want to tell you this: don't ever tell God what to do.

You say I didn't see that in there.

It's in there.

Who hath who hath uh we're the clay?

Who are we as clay telling the potter?

Now, I'm not gonna do anything, Lord, in this situation, but I'm expecting you to avenge.

Careful.

We are in need of humility if we're trying to tell the Creator what he should do.

What we need to do is stay on our side of the equation.

Our side of the equation is okay, I'm supposed to allow when evil comes, I'm gonna allow it to a certain extent, and I'm not gonna allow that evil to overcome me by God's grace, but I'm not allowed to go overcome evil with evil.

I'm not allowed to render evil for evil.

I'm supposed to overcome evil with what?

Say it?

Good.

So God put it in me to do that, and he says, Whatever you do, I'll recompense, saith the Lord.

So we don't say, now, Lord, I'm not doing anything, but I can't wait to watch what you're gonna do.

Because God may choose to do nothing, or God may choose not to show us what he does.

Are you still with me or not?

When we punished our children when they were young, we typically did not do it in front of the other children.

If I said uh to my wife and to one of the children, meet me in my bedroom, we didn't tell the other children what it was about.

Sometimes it was good.

Maybe I wanted to praise them for something, and usually public praise is okay.

Normally, when they went into our bedroom, it was to gain a little insight on the situation, first of all, and then possibly, I'm being kind, and then possibly correct the situation, but not in front of the other children.

Would you agree with that?

And often if God does it, he doesn't do it in a way that all the other children see.

He does things privately often because he respects the individual.

Are you still with me or not?

Oh yeah.

And so we don't we don't say, now, God, I can't wait to see what you're gonna do.

We might be waiting a long time because he may never show us.

What our job is, is not eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

Our job is, Lord, help me to turn the other cheek.

Oh, Lord, help me to turn the other cheek.

I'm trying to turn the other cheek, Lord, but I have a struggle.

Please give me what I need to turn the other cheek in this situation, in this matter, with this, with this situation.

Now, I want you to do this.

I want to give you an illustration, and I'm gonna ask you to study it in a little different way.

Look at Genesis 16.

Genesis 16 with this principle in mind.

Wonderful thing about the Bible, you can read a New Testament principle, and the Old Testament has so many examples of it.

Whatever it is, New Testament has them too, but Genesis 16, and I'm gonna ask you to look at something in a very uh kind of an unusual way.

And I hope I can, I hope I can portray this in a way that you can receive it.

Remember the foundational scripture and principle we're talking about is when we do good, evil would come.

Something that would try to steal our peace, our joy, our happiness, if you would, our peace and tranquility, something that would cause pain and distress.

Seems like it's gonna come, especially if we live godly in Christ Jesus, it's gonna come.

When it comes, we're supposed to do our best, if you would, uh, not so much to resist it, like, please, God, that this has got to go away, this has got to go away, this has got to go away, this has got to go away.

Why isn't this going away?

And God might say, it's for your good.

Don't resist it.

It's coming your way.

But we're not allowed, we're trying to do this.

We're not gonna have allow the evil to overcome us, but we're not allowed to render evil for evil.

We still okay with that?

Okay, so let me show you something.

And by the way, I think this scripture that we're gonna read in this situation can pertain to military, to family, to business, to college, to church.

I think it pertains to anyone and everyone if we look at it the right way.

Look if you would at Genesis 16.

And this is where uh two people, two managers, Abraham and Sarah, are gonna use one of their, if you would, servants or someone that uh uh uh Sarah is over named Hagar, and she's gonna use her in a very unusual way.

Now, here's the way I'd like you to study this.

Could you forget just for a moment that Hagar is a woman and that she's about ready to have a child?

You say, preacher, that's the whole story.

Could you just forget for a moment that she's gonna be used to have a child?

Why?

Because what I want you to see is Hagar is somebody that's gonna be used by somebody else to do something that she does, and then it changes the circumstances between the management and the one who's being used.

You say, I don't quite get it.

Sometimes people use us, management uses us.

Business, college, military, family, church, we get used.

And it changes how we view those who use us.

But God shows Hagar something that God's in charge, and I'll take care of you, Hagar, even if you're being used in the wrong way.

And I don't want you to retaliate, I want you to accept what's happened.

Notice what happens here.

Look at chapter 16.

Uh, notice Sarah has not had a child yet.

She's getting a little older, and so she says uh in verse number three, she says, uh, here's Hagar, here's my maid.

I'm gonna allow my husband to conceive with her.

And verse four says, that took place, but I note I want you to notice that verse number four says this after Hagar conceived, Hagar submitted to the plan, but when Hagar saw, verse four, that Hagar had conceived, then Hagar's attitude towards her leader, her mistress, it changed.

Her mistress in her eyes, she despised her a little bit.

Now you have to read that very carefully, but she went in and he went in unto Hagar, and she Hagar conceived.

And when she, Hagar, saw that she, Hagar, had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Meaning, you'll read down a little bit later, Hagar looked at that leader, her mistress, her governor, her leader, in a different way.

Management uses you.

And you just realize I just got used.

And all of a sudden, your view of management changes.

Family uses you.

And you realize I just got used.

And your view of family changes a little bit.

Church leadership uses you.

I'm just letting that sink in.

Because it can happen in Christianity.

And you realize you just got used, but it wasn't the way you wanted to be used.

In fact, what happens next, and you say, how can you relate this to church?

Well, God's involved in this whole thing.

You say, no, no, no, they got out of the will of God.

Brother, I gotta tell you something.

You'd say it whatever you want to.

Some people get out of the will of God and do something.

God says, I can use that.

God can use what people do, and God allows it.

Why would he write it in here unless he's gonna show us something because it says this?

Stay with me.

Verse 5, and Sarah said unto Abraham, the two managers, My wrong be upon thee.

I have given my maid into thy bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes.

Her view of me changed.

The Lord judged between me and thee.

Abraham said to Sarah, You know what?

That maid, that that person that's under you, uh, she's in your power.

You do what you want with her.

It's up to you how you treat the situation.

And it says in verse number six that Sarah dealt hardly with her.

And evidently it was somewhat abusive to where she fled from her face.

You say you're reading something in.

I'm just saying that once in a while people do things to other people, and then how they deal with it is even wronger.

It's more wrong.

You said I didn't like the word wronger.

Yeah, but I got it in my notes.

Say wronger.

You say wronger is not a word.

I know, but you'll remember wonger.

I wrote wonger.

Why?

Because you're you remember the message he said wonger?

And you'll say, that wasn't that was Hagar, right?

Yeah.

And so Sarah deals with her in a way that that she flees.

Verse 7, when she has been now not just used but abused, the angel of the Lord found her.

God sent an angel.

Verse 8, and the angel, God's representative, the angel says uh to Sarah's maid, Hagar, uh, whence comest thou?

What are you what are you doing here?

You know, when God says that, he already knows the situation.

Why does he do that?

He wants us to read the dialogue, he wants us to study the dialogue.

Brethren, just because my name's not Hagar and I'm not a woman and I can't give birth, I can learn something from this management situation.

I can put myself in Hagar's place, or I could put myself in Abraham Sarah's place and go, I need to be careful.

But we're talking about not rendering evil for evil, so we're studying Hagar.

We're talking about turning the other cheek and we're studying Hagar.

Well, Hagar's opinion of Sarah is a little bit uh tainted now, and God shows up through the angel and says, Uh, what are you doing here?

And whether wilt thou go?

What are you doing here in the present situation?

Verse 8, and what are you gonna do now?

Look what he says Whence came it thou?

What just happened?

And what are you gonna do now?

Whether wilt thou go?

What just happened, and what are you gonna do next?

And

And she said, I flee from the faith, face of my mistress Sarah.

And the angel said unto her, Return to the submit thyselves under her hand.

Whoa! Whoa! You know what he just said?

Turn the other cheek.

You say, I didn't see that in there.

He just said, God's will is for you to go back and submit yourself to her.

I know you've been done wrong.

I know it changed how you view her.

But I want you to go back and I want you to submit yourself back into the situation again.

I want you to turn the other cheek and go on back in there again.

Would you agree this is starting to sound a little unfair to Hagar?

Come on.

We kind of put Hagar in this thing like, well, you know, old Hagar.

Hagar's just doing what she's told.

And now she's with child, and what happened in her mind was her leader in her mind changed a little bit.

Stay with me.

And now the leader dealt in a hard way with her, and now she's fled, and now God says, turn the other cheek.

Go back and submit yourself in that family situation.

Go back and submit yourself at work.

Go back and submit yourself under that command authority again.

Go back yours and submit yourself again if you would.

Go back and turn the other cheek.

And the angel of the Lord, verse 10, said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly.

I'll take what they did to you and what you're gonna produce from that, and I'm gonna bless it.

I'm gonna multiply it.

Now, if you know the story, and I don't want to get into this part, if you know the theology, you know that she's gonna give birth to Ishmael.

And if you're thinking already, well, I know what the Ishmaelites are, please listen, don't miss the principle.

God says about the Ishmaelites in here and the offspring, he said, I'll multiply thy seed exceedingly.

It's not even gonna be numbered.

And he even says, I know this is going to happen, and you're with a child, verse number 11, and you're gonna bear this child, and here's what you're gonna call his name.

Why are you saying that?

Please listen.

God now, through the angel, is telling her what to do.

She's not choosing the name, God is choosing the name.

God says, You're gonna bear a son and his name, and here's what you're gonna call.

His name is gonna be called Ishmael.

You say Ishmael produces a lot of problems.

I know that.

I get that.

In fact, God even says that.

Notice what he says, um, verse number 11.

And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with a with a child, and thou shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

He'll be a wild man.

His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him.

That's true, still today.

The concept is though, the Lord says, I've seen your affliction.

I've seen your affliction, turn the other cheek.

I've seen your affliction, go on back in.

I've seen your affliction return unto her.

Verse 13, and she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God, say it, thou God what?

Seeest me.

You see what I'm going through.

You took time to show up.

You sent your angel.

You give me some insight.

You said, I know the situation, and here's what I want you to do.

Please listen.

Sometimes we don't need to know how it's all gonna work out.

We just need to know what to do next.

Would you say amen right there?

Sometimes we do not need to see how it's all gonna work out.

All we need to know is, God, what do you want me to do next?

And he says, go back in and submit yourself to Sarah, even though you don't see her the same way as you once saw her.

And even though you're involved with her now in a way that's gonna be difficult and challenging, go back and submit yourself to that.

And she said, God seest me.

God took note of me.

God sent an angel in my affliction and has instructed me what to do.

Brethren, as humans, we want to say, now what's gonna happen then?

Now what's gonna happen then?

Then what's gonna happen now?

Now what's gonna happen?

Then what's gonna happen?

I want to see the whole thing.

God says, Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

Your clay.

I'll take care of it.

Follow me.

I'll take care of it.

I see you in your affliction.

I see you in your evil.

I see the peace is gone.

I see you're perplexed.

I see she dealt hardly with you.

I see you think it's unfair.

I see you out here and you don't want to do.

Go back and submit yourself to her again.

You say that doesn't make any sense.

Please listen.

Sometimes faith and actions don't make sense.

I'm gonna say it again.

Sometimes faith and what God tells us to do does not make sense.

What he does tell her to do is go on.

Keep going.

Don't step out here and get bitter.

Go on back.

Yeah, but do you know what she did to me?

She didn't say that.

The angel, and by the way, if an angel showed up and said, Here's what I want you to do, I think we'd say, Okay, well, we've got the Holy Ghost inside of us that says, Here's what I want you to do.

Here's what I want you to do.

But that doesn't make sense.

Just do what I'm telling you.

Just do what I'm telling you.

Go back and submit yourself to that.

Turn the other cheek.

Don't render any retaliation.

Please watch what happens.

Stay with me.

You're doing great this morning.

Notice this is important.

She goes back, look at verse 16.

Please, this is important.

Underline this.

Abraham was fourscore and six years old.

If you have your own Bible, write down that he's 86 years old.

He's 86 years old when this all happens.

Now look at 17.1.

And when Abraham was 90 and 9, when he was 90 and 9, so 13 years later, there's going to be a situation that's going to change everything.

And the situation is going to be that Abraham and Sarah are going to have a child.

13 years later, so here's what I want you to take note of by the time this child, this new child, this child, this project that God gives Abraham and Sarah together, this miraculous child, that's going to take the place, if you would, of Hagar's project or her child, that child of Hagar's is going to be 13, almost 14 years old.

He's going to be a teenager.

You say, why is that important?

Because the teenager, Hagar's project, is going to mock Abraham and Sarah's project.

You say, what do you mean?

Why do you keep saying projects?

Brother, I want to tell you something.

Sometimes you'll be given an assignment in business and you'll do what you're told in business, and it'll be, well, I did my job and I did my project, and here it is, and now you've got something superseding this.

And what about what I did?

What's going on with that?

Or you told me to do something at church and I did it, and now you're kind of overshadowing having somebody else do it.

And what about what I did?

You say, What are you talking about?

Brother, sometimes the principles of the book are we just have to follow God.

We just have to follow the Lord.

Why are you showing the ages?

Look a little bit farther.

You're doing great.

Look at Genesis chapter number 21.

Everybody's still okay?

And if you're not, just say, Yeah, yeah, that's right.

I'm okay, Pastor.

Genesis 21.

So now God's going to visit Sarah, verse 1.

And now Sarah's gonna have her own child.

It's miraculous.

And the age difference and everything, and so uh uh they have the the the son, if you would, and they have Isaac in verse number three.

And now, boy, Isaac is the chosen one.

But I want to tell you something.

God still remembers there was an Ishmael born.

God still remembers there's a Hagar.

And notice what happens uh in verse number nine, verse number nine.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar, that's Ishmael, the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham.

What's he doing?

Say it, mocking.

Mocking.

Please listen.

13 to 14-year-old young men do that once in a while.

I was 13 or 14 at one time.

I still remember a really serious situation where I was full of pride and mockery.

It's still indulgable in my right mind right now.

At 14, I did it.

Why?

Because I was full of myself a little bit.

So Ishmael at 13, 14 years old, is mocking.

You say, What do you think he's saying?

I don't know.

It doesn't say.

Why are you pausing?

I'm just speculating so you formulate the mocking.

What do you think a 14-year-old boy says to?

You know, the new son, now of Sarah.

Uh, you know, they both have the same father.

You say, This is a mess.

I know it.

But God put it in the book.

Now, Hagar and her son versus Sarah and her son, please listen, and the two aren't getting along.

Two different situations, but remember it was Sarah that told Hagar to do it.

Now the whole thing is a mess.

But God's still gonna bless both.

I'm gonna say it again.

God's gonna bless both, but they're not gonna be able to get along.

Why do you say that?

Brethren, sometimes in military, it's like, okay, they got this, we got that, we'll do ours, they'll do theirs.

We got abused a little bit, we'll do our best.

Our project isn't as important anymore, but you know, we gotta, we're of the same command, so we still serve together, but you know, we're just not gonna get along.

Let's just let's just agree that we disagree and go on.

Come on, are you still with me?

Sometimes you know what Christians need to do?

Agree that they disagree and go on.

You know what family members need to do?

Agree that they disagree and go on.

You know what churches need to do sometimes?

Agree that we disagree and go on.

You say, why are you saying that?

Because Hagar and Ishmael and Sarah and Isaac are not going to agree with each other.

Even though they came, and it's gonna grieve Abraham.

So there's a mocking going on, and notice, notice if you would, um, notice what he says in verse number 10.

Wherefore, verse 10, she said unto Abraham, Sarah, cast out this bondwoman, Hagar.

Cast out Hagar and Ishmael.

For the son of this bondwoman, Ishmael, shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

If you lead a family, sooner or later something's gonna happen that's gonna be grievous to you.

If you are a manager in business, sooner or later something's gonna happen that's gonna be grievous.

If uh if you uh lead in business or you lead in the military, or you're a church leader, sometimes something's gonna happen where you go, what do I do now?

So-and-so is not getting along with so-and-so.

Let me say that again.

In human leadership.

Once in a while something will happen, and people will not get along.

It'll be grievous to the overall leader, but there's nothing he or she can do.

Like a mother has two children, and those two children grow up as adults and they don't get along.

They both still have the same mother.

And it can be grievous to a mother, it can be grievous to parents, it can be grievous, if you would, to different people.

It can it can be grievous in a church, it can be grievous in a family, it can be grievous in a business, it can be grievous in the military, it can be grievous in a community.

What do you mean?

I'm saying where there's human leadership involved, we can mess things up once in a while.

But but what God's gonna tell them both is go on.

Turn the other cheek and go on.

Don't render evil for evil.

Don't don't follow a principle that's gonna mess other people up.

Are we still good this morning?

I'm feeling a little uncomfortable up here.

So, and this thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

And uh, verse 12, God interjects.

I like it when God, because when God interjects, we don't have to worry about whether it's right or wrong.

Whatever God says is right.

And God said unto Abraham, let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad.

Don't be grieved because of uh because of Ishmael.

He's 13, 14, and because of the Bond woman, Hagar.

And all that Sarah hath said unto her, hearken to thy voice.

For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Once God weighs in, all Abraham can do is say, Okay.

Because God's always right.

Verse 13, and also the son of the Bond woman, Ishmael, I will make a nation, because he is thy seed.

You say, now wait a minute, wait a minute.

Now I'm getting back into Hagar and family and children and two sons.

There's a division, there's a problem, but somehow they both have to go on.

They have to continue on.

And God said, Don't be grieved about it.

Here's what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna separate the situation.

And when I separate the situation, I'll take care of both of the entities.

What do you mean he'll take both care of both the entities?

God is gonna take care of Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah, and God is gonna take care of Hagar and Ishmael.

You say, I know the end result.

Doesn't matter, God says, I'll take care of it.

And when God takes care of it, let him take care of it.

Because he knows what he's doing.

And notice what he says.

You're doing great this morning.

Verse 14.

Abraham rose up early in the morning, took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder.

And the child, now remember the child's 13 or 14, don't think of this as a little baby.

Sent her away.

So they go walking off together into the wilderness.

What a sight.

And the water, verse 15, was spent.

I don't know how far they walked.

And I don't know that little teenage boy, I gotta tell you something now.

You say, why do you say she cast the child under one of the shrubs?

You know, teenage boys haven't, after they haven't eaten or drank for a while, they just turn into mush.

I'm gonna say that again because you're looking at like she threw the child in.

Now she's probably helping this teenage boy along, and I gotta tell you, after they've not eaten or drank in a while, they just get all weak.

And I think she just takes the boy and puts him under the shade.

And she's walking away, saying, I don't want to see the death of him.

They got a relationship together.

He's not a baby.

He's 13 or 14 years old.

And she's gonna walk away from him.

What do you think she's thinking?

This is not fair.

And now she's kicking me out?

Verse 16.

She went over and set her down over against him a good way off.

As it were, a bowshot.

Take a bow and arrow and shoot as far as you can.

For she said, Let me not see the death of the child.

And she sat over against him and lifted up her voice and what?

And wept.

But she was not allowed to render evil for evil, was she?

And God heard the voice of the lad.

And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven.

And he said, What aileth thee?

What's going on?

What's wrong, Hagar?

How are you doing?

What fear not, don't be afraid.

For God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

Why is he hearing the voice of the lad?

It's Abraham's seed.

Come on, is that right?

Arise, lift up the lad and hold him in thine hand, for I will make him a great nation.

Didn't look like a great nation at the time.

And God opened her eyes.

And she saw a well of water and went and filled the bottle with water and gave the lad drink.

And God was with the lad.

What?

That's Ishmael.

And God was with the lad.

How can God be with that lad?

Because God can be whoever he wants to be.

Do whatever he wants to do.

His ways are past our way.

God was with the lad and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, became an archer.

We got nothing against archers, amen.

What's the deal?

Well, the deal is God's involved.

And God takes care of this entity over here, and God takes care of this entity over here, and God records it all so we can see it.

And what I'm asking you to do today is forget that Hagar is a woman.

Forget about Abraham and Sarah.

Just think of them as managers who told Hagar, here's what we're going to do to fix the problem we have.

We're going to have it you and Abraham get together, and you're going to produce this project named Ishmael.

And later, we don't know how this is all going to work out, but we've got to have an heir.

And this way there's an heir.

And they didn't know God had something else planned.

Are you still with me?

And so Hagar gets, if you would, uh abused a little bit by Sarah.

How?

Well, uh, Hagar looks at Sarah in a different way now because she conceived and Sarah didn't.

And now she said, you know, I'm a little disdained by my servant now.

And uh and he said, Well, deal how you want with her.

And she dealt a little heartily with her.

And she was out there, please listen to me.

And this follower, God shows up and says, What's going on?

And what are you going to do now?

I want you to go back and submit yourself to that.

Because I've got a plan.

Just trust me.

And Hagar said, God seesth me.

God seesth me in my affliction.

And God seesth you and I right now in our affliction.

You say, I'm not Hagar, I'm not producing Ishmael.

Stay with me.

Sometimes we produce somebody else's mistake.

We're just doing what we're told.

Doing the best we can.

What's the story so far?

Turn the other cheek and go back in.

What do you mean turn the other cheek and continue on?

Don't render evil for evil, but this was unfair.

Turn the other treek and trust what God's doing.

Don't resist it, just let it go.

You say that's easier said than done.

I know.

Fourteen years later, there's a son born to this management group over there, and this project is not going to get along with that project, but God's going to use both projects.

Because God's with both of them.

Come on, you still with me?

And God can use what you've done, even though it's lesson now, and God can use what he's doing over here with Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac.

Well, grievous to Abraham, let her go.

I'll take care of it.

Just let her go.

Abraham has to give her a bottle of water and some food, and off they go walking into the wilderness.

It gets to the place where the lad gets weak, throws him, puts him under a tree.

She says, I just can't watch him die.

Walks over here, and the angel of the Lord says to Hagar, what's going on down there?

Doesn't always God show up in the right timing.

Now, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Not our timing, but in his right timing.

We've got to trust whatever you're going through that God will show up in his right timing.

And there's be a little things along the way.

Sometimes God drops a little bit in.

What do you mean, drops in a little bit in?

Doesn't solve it all, but just drops a little bit in and says, I still see you down there.

I still see what's going on down there.

And the angel says, Uh, what do you got going on now?

Well, you know, the the boy's about ready to die, and I don't know what to do, and and you know, and this.

And God opens her eyes to a well of water.

I don't think the well was very far away.

You say, Do you think it was always been there?

I have no idea, neither do you.

He could have sprung it up.

I just know this, she didn't see it until he opened her eyes to.

See it.

And sometimes we can be in a situation and we're going, What is going on?

What is going on?

What is going on?

What is going on?

And God says, What are you doing down there?

What is going on?

I don't know.

Oh, let me open your eyes.

There's a well of water right over there.

Go get some water.

Take it back to your boy.

I'll use him.

I'm going to make something out of him.

I'm going to make something out of you've done what you've done.

But the two won't kind of mesh together anymore.

But it'll be fine.

I'll take care of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac over here.

And don't worry, I'll take care of you too and your boy.

And I got a plan for him.

Can you get something out of this?

Somebody here will get something out of this.

I don't know what it'll be, and I don't need to know what it will be.

But I want to say this to you.

Please listen.

God, through the book, is saying, uh, how you doing down there?

What do you mean?

He's saying through his word, how you doing down there?

What's going on?

Well, Lord, you know what's going on.

No, but how you doing?

Continue on.

Continue on.

Continue on.

I'll take care of it.

Yeah, but it wasn't fair.

I'll take care of it.

Continue on.

Yeah, but but did you see what happened?

No.

I said, God sees you.

Just trust me.

Don't render evil for evil.

Do what you're supposed to do.

But but but don't go after vengeance.

If I want to do something, I will.

Put your trust in me.

Let me call the shots.

Well, what should I do?

Do what you're doing.

Whatever it is you're doing, do what you're doing.

And I'll bless it or I'll use it and I'll take care of it.

But listen, listen, things won't be like it used to be.

You're not going to be close, Hagar, to Sarah anymore.

The boys are not going to get along.

But I can I can on a parallel basis, I'll take care of that and I'll take care of this.

I can take care of both.

And God can do just that.

So please, to someone in here today, continue on.

Your God, our God, seeeth you.

He sees what happens.

Turn the other cheek.

I can't turn my cheek to that.

Turn the other cheek.

I can't.

I won't.

Turn the other cheek, stubborn individual.

I'm not judging you.

Turn the other cheek.

I don't want to turn the other cheek.

It's not fair.

I know.

Turn the other cheek.

This is a God thing.

And we can't see the end result yet, but it's a God thing.

And somehow he's going to get glory somehow.

You'll say, tell me what's going to happen.

I don't know what's going to happen.

I just know he'll get what he wants.

And we'll thank him for it.

I think the song said, thank him when the storms, the waves overcome, and you might have waves crashing on you now.

It'd be a good day to thank him.

You say, I don't feel like thanking him.

All right.

This is the way to do it.

I'll leave this and we're done.

Lord, I'm not really thankful, but I'm thanking you.

But I don't mean it yet, but I want to mean it.

So help me to truly be thankful and bring that peace and joy back again.

So I don't have to fake it.

But I'm going to start by saying I want to thank you.

Even though I'm not sincere.

But I want to try to turn the other cheek.

God give me the grace and charity.

Empower me with love to turn the other cheek.

Thank you for listening to this message by Pastor Doug Fisher of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

To learn more about Lighthouse Baptist Church, visit our website at www.lighthousebaptist.com or call six one nine four six one fifty five sixty one.