Faithful Then, Faithful Now | How God Works - Genesis 17(Feb 5) Myles Holmes

Good morning, church family.

It's so good to be together this morning if you're here now on time.

Give yourself a little pat on the back and maybe clap for the person beside you.

Extra rewards in heaven for you.

And then now anyone who comes in after this time, we're just gonna look at them with the most shame you can possibly No, I'm just kidding, don't do that.

We don't want to be that kind of church.

But congratulations.

So good to be with you this morning.

We're excited to worship the Lord.

Trust that he's gonna be present with us.

And then when God shows up, He shows up to change and transform our lives.

And so we're excited this morning if you're new with us.

We just want to welcome you.

We're so thankful that you joined us this morning, and we'd love to meet you.

So we set up an area back there called Connections.

And we'd love to connect with you after the service.

We have a small gift we want to put in your hands, and we'd love to answer any questions you might have about what God is doing at Redemption Church.

Uh events in the life of our church that we want to put before you.

The first is our worship and prayer night.

And we talked last week in our message about places that God blesses.

Hagar needed to be in the place that God blessed.

And I want you to know that of the places that God blesses, I would make the argument that our worship and prayer night is uh maybe on the top of them.

God blesses us when we gather as a people to bow our heads before him, worship him because he's worthy of worship, and to speak to him and ask him to move in our lives.

God moves in power, and we say it off in our church.

Uh, no one ever comes to worship in prayer night and leaves, saying, Oh, that was a waste of time.

That wasn't worth it.

Then you come tired in the middle of the week on a Wednesday.

It's hard.

We're stressful.

The family always goes nuts, but you're always blessed.

And so we want to encourage you to make uh mark your calendar February 15th, 7 p.m.

here at ANOVA.

Not this week, but next week we're gonna be meeting for worship and prayer.

We're also excited for another event that's coming up in the life of our church.

Uh, we're gonna be having a family day.

What are we calling this?

Redemption.

Family day at redemption.

That's a great name for it because that's what we're gonna do.

We're gonna just fellowship as a church.

We want an opportunity to just hang out together.

One of the things that the elders of this church are most encouraged by is that after the service, people just want to be together.

And so we want to provide an opportunity for us just to hang out, to fellowship together, to enjoy time together.

I'm gonna get that slide back up there because I haven't memorized the details and I want to tell you about this.

It's gonna be February 20th at 10 a.m.

It's gonna be activities for kids.

There's gonna be time for parents and adults to hang out and talk to each other, and most importantly, I believe this is true.

I'm gonna get confirmation from Joel as I say it.

There's going to be pizza.

There's going to be pizza.

Okay, so for nothing else, at least show up for the pizza.

I'm not gonna tell you what time it's gonna come.

I'm gonna have to guess in case you might just want to show up just for the pizza.

Church, I want to continue or encourage you to continue to worship the Lord for your faithful giving.

You can give through e-transfer, PayPal, the e-slip uh um cash or envelope check in the little box at the back of the worship center there.

Uh, we're gonna enter into a time of worship now and continue to worship the Lord.

Before we do that, why don't you just stand up and find someone to greet, say good morning, and you can stay standing after that.

After listing in Philippians 3 the many things that Paul had done that might gain him status before the Lord.

Church, I want you to hear what Paul writes.

He says these words, indeed, I count everything as lost.

Everything that might give him credit before the Lord, credit before other people.

I count everything as lost.

Because of the surpassing words of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.

For his sake, I've suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.

And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith in church.

We're gonna pray in a moment, and this is my prayer for us.

This is what I'm asking God to accomplish in you, and I would ask that you pray along with me.

These words that I may know him.

And the power, the power of his resurrection, no power like you've ever seen in your life, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Our hearts and worship to the Lord, Father.

We bow before you.

And God, I pray that together in this room, in a spirit of agreement, we would declare these words that we are here to know you.

And God, to experience your power.

Just any power, Lord.

You say the power of the resurrection of your son.

God, it's your desire that we experience that power.

And so, God, as we gather here this morning as your church, gather because of the worthiness of your name.

God, I pray that you would, by the power and presence of your Holy Spirit, Lord, give us a taste and an experience and an understanding of your resurrection power, that you want to flow through believers, through your children, God.

I pray that every way, as we sing these songs and declare these truths about who you are, Lord, that we would come to know you more intimately.

And God, that your purposes, God, your purposes, not our purposes, but your purposes would be fulfilled in our lives.

God, that you would make us increasingly in these next moments, Lord, increasingly like your son Jesus Christ.

God, make us look like the world less.

Make us love the world less.

Make us look increasingly like your son.

And God, make you grow in our hearts in affection and a love for him.

God, it's it's gotta be you.

Lord, you have to do it.

So we depend on you, we rely on you, we ask you to move in power as we lift high your name.

God, we pray this in the name of your son.

Amen.

God, a thousand hallelujahs and a thousand more, all because of the work that you have done through your son Jesus Christ on the cross and the freedom that we can now live in, the hope that we can now have in a world that is so dark, that is so filled with hopelessness, God.

We thank you for the light and hope that you have brought into our life through Jesus Christ.

And it's our desire, God.

It's our desire to walk with the intent and purpose of glorifying your name.

God, it's exact it's our desire to experience all that you desire for us to experience for you to work in all the ways that you desire to work.

And so, God.

Would you find in this place, Lord, having our hearts just lifted to you, crying for your name to be glorified, Lord?

Would you find in this place hearts that are submitted to you, ready for you to glorify your name?

God, we give you the praise.

We pray that you'd speak to us and change us by your word, God.

We pray this in the name of your son.

Amen.

Amen.

You guys can take your seat.

It's so good to worship with you this morning.

If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, you can then open them up to Genesis chapter 17.

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

Genesis chapter 17.

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

I wonder if I were to ask you this question: do you want God to work in your life?

What the answer would be?

Especially if I maybe set the bar for that kind of work.

You know, like as we read the Bible, we open up to these pages in Genesis, we read of the mirac miracles that Jesus performed throughout the Gospels, when we talk about that work, I'm talking about like God splitting the Red Sea, I'm talking about the work that we read in Scripture, of God working in the midst of his people, of the kind of power of the miracles that Jesus displayed.

My question for you is this do you want God to work in your life with his power?

I hope that if you are in Christ, the answer to that question is yes.

Yes, I want to see God work in my life.

I want to see God perform his miracles in my life.

I want to see God's promises fulfilled in my life.

I want to see God work.

That's the desire of our lives.

And really, as we've tracked through the life of Abraham, we see that the desire of Abram's life is really to see God work.

The story of Abram's life up until this point is really God promising that he's going to work, and Abram just continually trying to trust in God, trying to place his faith in God, trusting that God is going to accomplish his work.

The question that comes to Abram's mind often is God, how are you going to do this work that you promised that you would do?

How are you going to accomplish these things that you promised that you would accomplish?

What's this going to look like in my life?

God, I want you to work.

I want you to accomplish your purpose in my life, but I just have no idea what it's going to look like.

This is Abram's question, and it's our question too, isn't it?

We want God to work in our life.

We want God to work in our family.

Especially as we look at this church, we want to be a church where every time we meet together as believers, God is working in our midst.

Where people come in and their first impression is like God is at work in this place.

That's our desire.

We want to see God work.

And in many ways, one of maybe the most fitting criticisms that unbelievers have against the church is that we worship a God who they've heard stories about.

They've heard about this God of Noah and this God of Abraham and the miracles and power that Jesus lived with.

They've heard of this God, and yet as they look at the church, it doesn't look like the God with the power to split seas, the God with the power to raise the dead is working in power.

They ask, where's the power now?

Where's the work of God now?

And as we look at Genesis 17, as Abram asks this question, God, how are you gonna work?

What I want us to see is how God works in our life.

What I want us to ask is this what are the conditions of our hearts?

What condition does my heart need to be in in order for God to work powerfully in my life?

What is the soil condition of a heart that God is looking to plant his seeds of the gospel?

That was Abram's question.

That's our question this morning.

I want to read Genesis 17 with you, and so if you have a copy of God's word, you can follow along with me.

I'm reading from the ESV.

Moses writes, When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I'm God Almighty.

Walk before me and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.

Then Abram fell on his face.

God said to him, Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

No longer shall your shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham.

For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.

And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you, throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to be and to your offspring after you.

And I will give to you and to your offspring after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.

And God said to Abraham, As per you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you, and your offspring after you.

Every male among you shall be circumcised.

You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised.

Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with money shall surely be circumcised.

So shall my covenant be in your flesh, an everlasting covenant.

Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, shall be cut off from his people.

He's broken my covenant.

And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai, your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her.

I will bless her, and she shall become nations, kings of people shall come from her.

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to him, Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?

Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?

And Abraham said to God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before you.

God said, No, but Sarah, your wife, shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.

I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

As for Ishmael, I've heard you.

Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly.

He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.

But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.

When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham, and Abraham took Ishmael and his son, and all those born in his house, or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him.

Abraham was ninety nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised, and all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Well, my question is, what is the condition of our hearts that God will do his mighty work in?

And the first condition that I want you to see, the first way that God works in us is when we embrace our weakness.

That's the first thing that you must do as a believer.

If you desire God's work to be accomplished in your life, you need to embrace your weakness.

And this really, in every way, is the beauty of the Christian faith, isn't it?

That you come into this community of Christians, you enter into the covenant with God only by weakness.

And that it's really God who seeks the weak in order that his power may be displayed through them.

This is the beauty of the Christian faith.

And so think about the people that God uses throughout the Bible.

I mean, we have Abraham as an example, who's told that he'll be the father of many nations, but whose wife is unable to bear children.

Who, from the very surface of things, it just does not seem possible.

Abraham's situation does not seem like the right situation to be the father of many nations.

Think about Moses.

When God says to Moses, hey, hey, Moses, I need you to do something for me.

I need you to go to talk to Pharaoh and go speak to the people.

And what does Moses say?

Hey, I can't speak.

I can't do the exact thing you're asking me to do.

I just can't do it.

You think about David when Samuel comes to find a king, David isn't even considered fit to be considered a king.

He's not even in the conversation, he's not even part of the draft pick.

These are the people that God uses.

It's the weak.

And I want you to know that if you're in Christ, the reason that God has called you is because of your weakness.

Now you say, hey, Pastor, that's really offensive.

How dare you speak to me like that on a Sunday morning?

Well, it's not offensive.

I want you to see that it's actually theological.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, he says, God chose what is weak.

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

You were purposefully chosen by God in weakness in order that God's power might surge through you, in order that God's work might be displayed through you and put to shame those who think they're strong in their own self-reliance and strength.

God's working through the weakness of his people.

That's why Jesus, when he came, he said, I didn't come for those who are well and have no need of a physician.

You know who Jesus came for?

You know who Jesus went on a mission trip from heaven to earth for?

He says, I came for those who are sick.

I came not to call the righteous, not to those who could do it on their own, who could get rid of their own sin, who could get their life together by themselves by pulling up their own bootstraps.

What Jesus says is, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Jesus says, I came to seek and save, not those who have their life put together.

I came to seek and save the lost.

If you're in Christ, the very reason that you are chosen, the very reason that you are in Christ is because of your weakness.

I like to think of it like this.

You know, one of my experiences as a child is a horrific experience that you have when you are a boy who is not good at sports.

But there's this very cruel, you know, kind of ritual that happened when we're boys.

I'm not sure if it happens in kind of like the cushy world that we've created for our children now, but there is a process when you wanted to play a sport where you'd pick a team captain.

You guys ever been part of this process?

Well, you pick a team captain, there's two captains, and they start to pick the players that they want on their team.

And it's a pretty exposing process because you begin to realize who these, who, who their perception of the best players are.

In my experience, many times as a boy who loved sports but was never good at it, the worst combination you could possibly have was standing in that line as boy after boy was picked, and I came down to the last few, and I came to realize that of all these kids that were standing in this line, I am among the lowest desired to be on this team.

And these captains, they're picking teams according to strength because they wanted to win.

And what God is showing us is that when it comes to his kingdom, when it comes to his community, what he does is he reverses the script.

He says, I don't want the strong.

I don't want the ones who can do it by themselves.

What I want is the ones who recognize their weakness, who embrace their weakness, who realize they just they can't do this unless God works.

And what God is gonna do is he is going to assemble a team, he is going to assemble a family, he is going to assemble a church of people who are filled with weaknesses.

Who, when the watching world comes in, says, I don't know how these people could accomplish anything.

And what God is going to do is he's gonna work in power through those people so that not their strength is exposed, so that his power and might and glory is exposed through the weakness of these people.

This is what God wants.

He wants weakness on his team.

This is why in Genesis 17, Moses starts again by highlighting Abram's age, when Abram was 99 years old.

I wonder if Abram could read this.

He'd be like, hey, can we just stop?

Like, let's just stop talking about the age.

Like, we know we don't like to talk about how old we are.

That's kind of like one of the taboo things.

Don't mention age, don't ask someone how old they are.

And yet the writer of Genesis, Moses, just keeps bringing it up.

Hey, guys, remember, Abram hasn't had any kids yet.

He's 99 here.

Hey, everyone, let's come just laugh at Abraham for a little bit.

He's the old man here.

99 years old.

And we know that the promise that was given to Abraham is that he would be the father of many nations.

And what hat what's happening throughout this the life of Abram is this tension is building, and we're asking this question, like, God, how are you gonna work?

And we're told that Ishmael at this point is 13 years.

So 13 years ago, Abram tried to take things into his own hands because he was saying, God, it's taking too long for you to work in my life, taking too long for you to fulfill your promise in my life.

So I'm gonna do this myself.

And then Ishmael was born.

And now it's been another 13 years, and again, God hasn't worked.

And there's like this drama.

Do you feel it building in the tense in the text?

This drama's building.

Like, God, how are you gonna work in Abram's life?

And Christian, do you ever feel that?

Do you ever feel like you're just in this situation and you're you're looking every way, and it's been so long days, weeks, months, years, and you're saying, God, how are you going to work?

What are you gonna do?

And the longer it goes, the less likely it feels like God's gonna do anything until, until now, Abram's 99 years old.

It's been 13 years again since he tried to take things into his own hands with Hagar and Ishmael, and then God appears and says to Abram, what does he say?

Do you see it there in the text in verse 1?

I am God Almighty.

In the midst of your waiting on the Lord, when you just cannot understand why God isn't doing the work that you're praying for, why he's not saving that person that you've been praying for, why he's not healing that sickness you've been praying to be taken from you, why he's not taking that thorn that you have in the flesh, that suffering that you're walking through.

You're saying, God, why aren't you working?

God shows up in the midst of that and he says, I am God Almighty.

El Shaddai.

What God is saying is, I am the God who is almighty.

I am the God who is powerful, I am the God who is who has control over all of the universe.

And in this moment, I'm sure came flooding into Abram's mind all of the things that God had done up until this point that proved that he was powerful.

God shows up to Abram in the midst of his weakness and waiting.

He says, Hey, hey, remember creation?

Remember when I powerfully spoke the universe into existence by a very word?

Oh, wait, remember the flood?

Remember the flood?

Remember Babel, how I separated everything?

I mean, you heard those stories, Abram, but hey, Abram, I've also worked in your life.

You know that I've been God Almighty.

Remember when you were in Egypt and you thought that you were in danger, but I protected you?

Hey, Abram, you remember when you took just a few hundred men and you marched all the way through Canaan, and by my power you took down mighty kings.

Abrams had seen God work powerfully so that when God shows up in his life and says, I am God Almighty, Abram should be in this kind of place in his heart where he's just like, Okay, this God can do anything.

I just all I gotta do is hitch my train to this God.

This God can do anything.

This is God Almighty.

Nothing's too small for this God.

And you need to know if you're in a place in your life right now where you feel like you've been waiting on the Lord to accomplish something in your life, you feel like you've been praying and praying and praying, and you feel like you're in this place where you're just like, I just don't see how God can work in this situation.

I don't see what God can do.

Your problem is that it's really a theology problem that you have.

You're not believing in the power of God.

And what God needs to do when you believe, when you feel like he can't work in your situation, like he can't accomplish his purpose in your situation, what God needs to do is show up in your life and say, I am God Almighty.

I'm in control of everything.

I can do whatever I want whenever I want to do it.

In the snap of my fingers, I could accomplish anything I want.

And all you need to do is trust.

See, it's bad theology.

We limit the power of God.

And we feel like our marriage can't be fixed, and we feel like it's irreplaceable.

Our problem is that we are thinking about the wrong God.

We're not thinking about God Almighty.

When God shows up to us right now to declare that He is God Almighty, He can do what He wills.

When we have sin in our life that we just feel like we can't get rid of, we feel like we have no power to defeat in our lives.

Our problem is that we're fighting that sin with the wrong God.

Not with God Almighty, who can do all that he desires, who is powerful to do anything he wills.

And so when Abram, in the midst of his weakness, when he just does not understand how God can fulfill his problem, is met by the presence of God who declares to him again, I am God Almighty.

That's what we need to hear this morning.

Well, God says to Abram, I'm God Almighty, and then what God does is he gives Abram two conditions followed by two outcomes.

Two obligations that Abram is to fulfill, followed by two outcomes that God would bring.

Look what it says in again in verse 1.

It says, Walk before me and be blameless.

Two things Abram is to do.

Walk before me.

That means live for the Lord, walk in his ways, listen to his word.

And the second thing that Abram is to do is to be blameless.

Well, notice that if Abram does this, if he walks in the ways of the Lord, if he's blameless, what God says in verse 2, he says, says, I will make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.

There's a way that Abram's to live, that if he lives, God covenants with him.

I'm gonna bring about the promises that I've given to you to multiply your family.

I'm gonna accomplish my purposes.

Remember, the very purposes that God created humanity for in Genesis 1 were to be fruitful and to multiply.

And hear what God is saying is that I'm gonna accomplish my purposes through you, Abram, if you will just walk in me and be blameless.

And look at the response of Abram in verse 3.

I think it's a very fitting response in light of what he's just been told that ultimately he's got to be perfect, that he's got to be blameless.

It says Abram fell on his face.

He fell on his face.

Now, why would Abram fall on his face?

Well, I think there's two reasons.

And as we look at the people falling on their face before the Lord in Scripture, we see these two reasons.

One is because Abram is in awe again of how great and glorious God is.

Abram is standing in the presence of God Almighty, and as soon as he comes to realize that, he then falls in his face.

Twice in this text we see Abram fall on his face as he considers all that God is going to accomplish.

Abram's in awe of how great God is.

But a second reason that Abram falls in his face is because Abram's in awe of how impossible this mission is that God has called him to.

Consider it for a moment.

Consider what God asks of Abram.

He says, Walk before me, to which we can say, Okay, God, yeah, I can I can do that.

I can try my best.

And then God says to Abram, and be blameless.

In other words, do it perfectly.

To which any of us would fall on our face and just say, God, God, I can't do that.

If that's the conditions of the covenant, if that's how you're going to work in my life, I just cannot do that.

There's no way.

And yet, so we find that the commands in Scripture are always too big for us.

So that Jesus, when he returns, you remember when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount?

The Sermon on the Mount is like, hey, here's this new covenant community, and this is what this community is going to look like.

And one of the very first things that Jesus says is that in order to be a part of this new covenant kingdom community, you need to be perfect as I am perfect.

Jesus says that on the Sermon on the Mount.

Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

To which the proper response of our hearts should be like, okay, wait, wait, wait, God, Jesus, Jesus, slow down for a second there.

Stop, stop, stop.

I can't do it.

I can't do it.

I can't be perfect.

I'm sure when Abram is told by God to be blameless, like there's this awkward, like, screeching halt to the story.

The story comes to a halt, and Abram goes, wait, wait, wait, okay, wait, God, pause there.

Um God, do you remember Egypt?

Remember in chapter 12, right after you told me you were gonna make kings come from my line, that you were gonna give me a son.

Do you remember when I went to Egypt?

I was not blameless in Egypt, God.

Remember I lied about my wife?

Because I was worried you might not protect me, God, so I lied about my wife.

And um, you know, I don't know if Abram in this moment looks at his 13-year-old son, Ishmael.

He's got pimples all over his face.

He's like, God, um, we got a problem here.

Okay, this son that I have is proof that I wasn't blameless.

That uh many times I've not trusted you.

And I don't know if I can do it.

In fact, you know what?

Abram won't do it.

Genesis 20, he's gonna make the same mistake he's already made.

He's gonna lie again about his wife.

Abram will never be blameless, he just can't do it.

And this is the reality of what God calls his children to do.

God has always been in the business of calling his children to do what they are absolutely unable to do, so that they will seek a power that is not their own.

God calls you to these things that are impossible for you to do, so that you come to the end of yourself, and on your knees you look to God and you say, God, I can't be perfect.

God, I can't be the father that you've called me to be.

God, I can't be the mother that you've called me to be.

I can't be the employer you've called me to be.

I can't be the church member you've called me to be, I can't be the pastor you've called me to be.

I just can't do it.

The call is too great.

And yet, this is what God does in his children.

He asks them to do something they're unable to do in order that they might seek a power greater than their own.

I love what Crawford Lurritz says.

I've probably shared it before, but it's so powerful.

He says, Don't pray for tasks equal to your strength.

Don't pray for tasks equal to your strength.

Pray for strength equal to your tasks.

Church, this is the necessity.

If we want to see God work, we embrace our weakness and we say, God, we can't do it.

We need your power to work through us.

Well, this leads us actually to a really important question as we kind of walk through the covenant that God makes with Abraham.

The question that we need to ask is: is this covenant that God makes with Abraham, all the things that God promises to do in the life of Abraham, is this covenant conditional or non-conditional?

There are many, many books written on this question.

And the question really is this if the covenant is conditional on Adam's obedience, then the accomplishment of God's promise will only be done so long as Adam is able to do all that God calls him to do.

So that God has given Adam many promises of a land, of children, and that he would be a blessing to the nations.

And the question is that if this covenant's conditional, well, if Adam, or sorry, Abram isn't able to do what God has called him to do, if Abram isn't able to uphold his part of the covenant, then is God still going to work?

So many will point to the land promise and say that's why the land promise was never fulfilled, because Abram was never able to point to or able to fulfill his side of the covenant.

Well, the other reality is that this could be non-conditional.

So that God made a covenant with Abram and he didn't condition it upon Abram's obedience, but instead promised, no matter what, to bless his covenant people.

Promise, no matter what, I'm gonna bring about the fulfillment of the things that I've promised to you, Abram.

And so this is the question, and theologians go back and forth: are the covenants conditional or non-conditional?

And I want to give you the definitive answer right now.

Are you ready for it?

The definitive answer to that question, are the covenants non-conditional or conditional, is yes.

Is that helpful for you?

The answer is yes.

And by that I mean they're actually both.

The covenants was not conditional on Abram's perfect obedience.

We've already seen this.

Do you remember when God made a covenant with Abram in verse in chapter 12?

And he said in chapter 12, he said, Abram, go from your country and from your kindred.

And then he promised three things.

See, the the covenant was conditional on Abram going and separating from his family.

And then he promised that Abram would be a blessing to the nations, that he would be given a child, and that he would, that kings would come, or sorry, he'd be given a land.

Well, Abram went, but he didn't go perfectly.

You remember a chapter later, he's still with Lot.

He didn't follow the condition to perfect obedience, and yet God was still willing to fulfill the promise in Abram's life.

And likewise, here, as the condition is given to Abram to walk before him and be blameless, God is not looking for the perfect obedience of his children.

He cannot be.

The covenants aren't conditioned on their perfect obedience.

Instead, the argument really that Moses makes in Genesis and that Paul carries in Romans 4 is that the reason why God fulfills the covenant in Abram's life is because Abram has faith.

Look back at Genesis 15, verse 6 with me.

Genesis 15:6

Look at what Moses writes in Genesis 16, 15, verse 6.

And it says that he, Abram, believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

As righteousness.

It was always Abram's faith that God would be able to do what he promised to do, that accredited into his account righteousness.

It was never his works that were going to save him.

This is why Paul in Romans 4 carries up this argument to say that it was not Abram's work of circumcision that saved him, because before Abram was circumcised, he had faith, and Moses said that that faith was accredited to him as righteousness.

The covenant was conditioned on the faith of Abraham.

This is why all throughout the New Testament, when people talk about Abraham, they commend him as a man of faith.

It was by Abram's faith that God worked.

See, the covenant was not conditional on Abram's perfect obedience.

This is why you remember in Genesis 15 when God made the covenant with Abram, in the covenant ritual, it's really rather gory if you think about it, God cut these animals in half.

And he placed half the animal on this side of a field, and on the other side of the field, he placed the other half of the animal.

And you can imagine just the gory scene that is displayed there.

And in this covenant ritual, God promised that he would bring to fulfillment all the things he said he would do in Abram's life.

And according to the ritual of the day, both of the parties that were entering into covenant together would walk between those cut animal pieces so as to say this hey, if I don't hold up my end of the covenant, then may this happen to me.

May I be cut apart like these two animals are?

But you remember what God did?

God made Abram fall asleep.

And only God walked between the cut animals.

And my question for you is what did Abram have to do?

What did Abram have to do in the making of that covenant?

The only thing that Abram had to do was sleep.

Isn't that amazing?

It's pretty easy part of the covenant, isn't it?

Hey Abram, the only thing I want you to do here, listen, I'm gonna take all the weight here.

I'm gonna take all the weight.

The only thing I want you to do, Abram, go to sleep.

Some of us want our uh spouses when we go home to serve us in that way, don't we?

Hey, you just go to sleep, all right?

You just go take a nap.

That's what God says to Abram, when it comes to me making my covenant with you, I want you to take no par in it.

I'm gonna do everything.

And church, you need to see how this is fulfilled entirely in Jesus Christ.

It's the exact same thing.

What part do you play in your salvation?

Well, I love how one pastor says it.

He says, Jesus plus nothing equals everything.

The moment that you come to realize that you can do nothing to contribute to your salvation is the moment that you receive salvation.

It's the moment that you realize that by embracing your weakness, there's nothing you can do but to look at the cross and see there your Savior, Jesus Christ, suffering for your sin.

There's nothing you can do to take any of the suffering upon yourself.

There's no righteousness that you can contribute to your salvation.

Instead, Jesus has to do it all.

He's got to do it all.

He's got to pay the complete penalty for your sin.

You stand there and you, in the same spirit of Abram, as though you're sleeping, you realize there is nothing you can do.

It must be God.

This covenant was not conditional on Abram's perfect obedience.

It was, however, conditional on Abram's faith.

God fulfills the covenant to Abram because Abram proves by his actions that he has faith in God.

It's Abram's faith that drives him to follow, as we see in the rest of this chapter, the specific instructions on circumcision.

Abram's faith drives him to follow God.

So that once Abram has faith, look what happens in verses 4.

God goes on what I call an I rant.

You ever hear someone give an I rant?

It's this rant they go on where it's all about things that they do.

I did this, I did that, I do this, I'm gonna do that.

And that's what God does.

Because of Abram's faith, look what he says.

Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of a multitude of nations.

He changes Abram's name in verse 5, and then look at verse 6.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.

And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring and you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

And again in verse 8, and I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourners.

And at the end of verse 8, and I will be their God.

See, by Abram's faith, this is the work that God is going to do.

God is going to accomplish his work.

It's not going to be Abram who looks back on this covenant and says, Oh man, that was a lot of work from me.

It's going to be God who does his work.

So that all that we can do at the end, after God has worked in our life, all that we can do is look back and say, it was all God.

Isn't that true in your own life?

As you look back on the ways that God has worked in your life, don't you look back and you're like, man, I couldn't have orchestrated like that.

There's no way I would have ever planned it out like that.

But it was God who worked.

God did the work.

That's why when Jesus comes, what does he call us to do?

Jesus says, abide in me.

It says, abide in me.

What does that mean to abide?

Like, what does it mean?

What does it mean to abide?

How do I abide in you, God?

It just means to sit.

Like, literally, what does abide mean?

It means remain.

Stay where you are.

Stay in me.

Stay connected to me.

Abide in me.

So Jesus says, He calls all his followers to find rest in him.

Not a job description.

Not a wall to jump over.

Jesus calls his followers to rest.

That's because God accomplishes his work when we embrace our weakness when we understand that there is nothing we can do but place our faith in the work that God will do.

We embrace our weakness.

Well, the second thing we do is we devote our life.

We devote our life.

And in the immediate context, the way that Abram's faith would drive him to work is by listening to what God said to him about circumcision.

And really this chapter breaks down into two kind of like mirrored pieces.

And so we're really spending most of our time in the first half, because then what happens in the first half is God says, tells Abram to do this, to circumcise his children and all those that are with him.

And then in the second half, Abram does that.

And so we'll spend much of our time.

Some of you guys are looking at the time, you're like, okay, we're on verse 4 and we're going all the way through Genesis 17, so I better change plans for lunch.

Well, I just want to promise you we're going to start speeding up here.

And most of our time this morning is going to be spent in this first half.

In the immediate context, the way that Abram displays his faith in God is by fulfilling the commands that he had given regarding circumcision.

And so in verse 9, look what it says.

And God said to Abraham, As for you and you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your offsprings after you.

Every male among you shall be circumcised.

Well, why circumcision?

You know, I wonder if this pl if at this point in the plan, like Abraham had any idea what was coming.

I wonder if as a man he was really shocked by what God was then calling him to do.

You know, God says, I'm gonna call you to do something, you're gonna keep your side of the covenant.

Well, every male of you shall be circumcised.

I wonder if Abram was like, okay, can we go over this plan again?

Like, I'm I don't know if I'm totally down with this.

This is gonna be really painful.

Well, why circumcision?

It seems like an odd end for Abram to fulfill.

Well, we see really in verse 14 why circumcision is the proper response to God's covenant with his people.

Look what it says in verse 14.

Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people.

He's broken my covenant.

See, thereby the negative, you come to realize what circumcision was all about.

If you weren't circumcised as an Israelite male, then you were intentionally cutting yourself off from God's people.

But to be circumcised was to intentionally then devote yourself to God.

And so we have ancient Near Eastern texts from Egypt that show us that at the same time Abraham was in Egypt, the priests of Egypt were practicing this ritual of circumcision, and it was a practice that devoted themselves to their gods.

And so God takes this ritual and gives it not just to the priests of his people, he gives it to all of his people to say this, to command that Israel is circumcised, because God desires that Israel be devoted to him.

This is the second thing that I want you to see is that God's work is accomplished in our life when we devote our life to him.

The reason why God gives circumcision as a ritual to Abraham to upkeep is because God wants to be their God.

Do you see that in verse 8?

These are such beautiful words that you need to hear.

Gospel-filled, hope-filled words.

You see these words?

I will be their God.

And in verse 7, the reason that God makes a covenant, an everlasting covenant, is to be God to you.

Church, do you know this truth?

That God desires to be your God.

He desires to be your father.

Some of us need to hear that because we kind of treat God like He's like grumpy about saving us.

Oh, great.

Here, I gotta come and save this person.

Their life's such a mess.

Can't get his life together, can never live righteously for me.

I had to send my son for this guy.

We treat God like he's grumpy about salvation, like he's grumpy about redemption.

Like when we turn to him, he's like, oh, here he comes again, crawling back again.

Can't get his life together.

Church, God's not grumpy about you being his child.

That's why God started this whole work of redemption in the first place.

God's desire.

Let me hear, let me say that again so that you hear this.

I do not want you to miss this.

God's desire.

The thing that thrills his heart, the thing that brings great joy to him is when he gets to be your God.

That's why he's doing this work of redemption.

He desires to be your God, and he desires the devotion of your life to him.

And this is what God wants for all of eternity.

That's why Jesus, our Lord, prayed to God, saying, Father, I want, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.

And you need to hear those words and replace your name in them.

Jesus prayed and he said, Father, I want my life to be with me where I am.

If you're in Christ, that's what Jesus prayed.

I want you to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory you've given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

God is not cranky about your redemption.

God is overjoyed, fulfilled to the brim of his heart every time you express your devotion to him, because it's God's desire to be your God for all of eternity.

Circumcision, it was an act of devotion.

By faith, the people of Israel were saying, just as God has covenanted to be our God, we want to display this act of devotion to God to say that we are God's people.

And so it was this physical symbol that they were children of God.

To be circumcised and to circumcise your children, then was an act of faith declaring that you wanted to be a part of a physical part of the community of God.

You wanted to be visibly seen as God's people.

The biggest issue that Israel always ran into is that though you could physically circumcise a person, that didn't always, that didn't always necessitate that they were spiritually circumcised.

The bigger issue was not that you're physically circumcised, the bigger issue that on God's heart was that the people of God were spiritually circumcised.

So Moses says in Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 6, that the reason he's excited to get to get into the land is because there the Lord your God will circumcise your heart.

Deuteronomy 30:6

Yes, your flesh has been circumcised, but the most important thing is that your heart is circumcised.

And Moses says this the Lord your God in the land will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

See, you could have external physical circumcision without life.

What was needful was that that physical circumcision actually displayed a spiritual circumcision of the heart.

What was needful was that those who were physically circumcised had hearts that loved God.

The problem for Israel is that they could have all the external marks right, but not have their heart right.

They could have all the physical marks of being a child of God, but not have the heart that actually loves God.

And you need to see the application for us because it's so possible for us to do the same, isn't it?

Isn't it possible for us?

Like we get we get really good at this, and our children, parents, you need to be really careful because they're watching and they get really good at this at a young age.

They learn how to like be a Christian.

They can speak the Christian ease.

Have your kids ever done this to you where they just kind of like butter you up with all this God talk?

You know, oh God's so glorious.

Hey, so uh, can we have a treat after dinner?

You know, they they just learn how to kind of butter you up as a parent.

They learn that that there's there's uh there's great reward in pretending to be a Christian.

When your child pretends to be a Christian, they'll start to notice that you love that.

And then they'll start going to kids ministry and they'll start to notice that their kids workers, they really enjoy when when you know your kid starts to show acts of of Christianity and can speak Christian ease.

And then they'll go to youth group and they'll see that other kids follow Jesus, then it's kind of cool to follow Jesus.

And there's all these kind of external rewards to just playing the part.

And as Christians, we learn how to do that.

We learn how to play the part, we learn how to talk the talk, we learn how to walk the walk, but it's possible to do that without having heart change.

Many of us are like cars with tinted windows.

On the outside, we look so impressive, but you don't know what's on the inside.

The inside could be a complete mess.

Drowning in Tim Horton's cups and garbage.

It's possible for us to play the part on the outside.

This is why Jesus came to the Pharisees and what did he call them?

White washed tombs.

Quite the image, isn't it?

It's like you're this graveyard tombstone and you're washed sparkling clean.

Which is like constantly scrubbing the outside.

But you're dead inside.

There's no life on the inside.

It's possible to have all the outward marks, but for the inward reality not to be there.

It's interesting as we think about circumcision that when that it functions, it says in verse 11, as a sign of the coming.

Covenant.

But when it comes to the New Testament, what happens?

Well, we're given a sign of the covenant in the New Testament as well.

But you know what the sign of the covenant is in the New Testament?

Well, it's baptism.

And baptism progresses as a sign because what baptism does is it does not focus on the outward physical entrance into God's community.

What baptism does is it focuses on the inward entrance into God's community.

And so in the church, we find that there are many arguments over baptism and how circumcision and baptism relate to each other.

And this is why in many churches there is a willingness to baptize infants.

And so I think it's right for us just to take a moment to think about this together.

Is it right for us to baptize infants or should we baptize believers?

And you need to know that the argument really comes here from Genesis 17 to baptize infants.

The argument goes like this: that because the children of Israel were circumcised and devoted to the covenant community externally, then baptism as a continuation of the covenant sign should be given to the children of the covenant community.

This is where really the argument initiates.

And there's much confusion and disagreement over this.

And so I think it's right for us just to take a moment to try to settle up what does God's word say?

But as we do that, I just want to maybe caution you to say that this is really a secondary or tertiary issue.

When we talk about infant baptism versus believers' baptism, what you need to recognize is that there are many, many incredible believers.

There are pastors I listen to weekly who practice infant baptism.

This is a division that might separate our churches in terms of denominationally or in terms of what we believe, but it is not a division that should separate us from brothers and sisters in Christ.

And I proudly link arms with brothers and sisters who believe in infant baptisms and say, you are a brother in Christ.

On the primary issues, we agree.

I praise God that there are churches that are carrying out their conviction about what they believe about baptism.

However, at the same time, I disagree with what the scriptures say about baptism and how circumcision and the sign of the old covenant to Abraham relates to baptism and the sign of the new covenant.

Circumcision, what it did was it marked off a physical community for God.

Circumcision was really an act of faith on behalf of the parents.

You don't need to know much about babies to say that the eight-day-old baby had no choice in the situation.

It was their parents' faith.

And their parents were marking off their family to say that our family is a family that is devoted to the Lord.

It marked off a physical community that was multiplying by physical birth.

Well, what baptism does and how baptism progresses from circumcision is it marks off a spiritual community that's growing by spiritual birth.

This is why Paul in Galatians says, Who are the sons of Abraham in the new covenant?

Have you read this?

He says that you are now a son of Abraham by faith.

By faith.

In the new covenant, the people of God are no longer ethnic Israel being multiplied by the uh birth of new children.

In the new covenant, the people of God are a spiritual Israel, spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham that enter into that community and covenant by faith.

See, the Old Testament answer to that question is who are the sons of Abraham?

Is those who are born to Israelite families, and for the males, those who are circumcised, those whose faith led them to practice the sign of circumcision.

But in the New Testament, the answer is faith.

And what baptism does is it does what circumcision never could.

See, circumcision marked the external physical assembly and covenant community, but baptism, it marks off the true Israel, those whose hearts are circumcised to God.

This was always the problem with circumcision.

You could be externally, you could have the external symbol without the inward reality.

And what happens in baptism is the very celebration is based off belief that you have, so that the very celebration is an external symbol of an inward reality.

That's why everyone that was baptized last week had spoken with one of the elders so that we could affirm, hey, is this actually an inward reality with you?

Because baptism is to be reserved for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, who have experienced the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit in their life, whose sins have been washed clean.

Baptism marks off a true Israel whose hearts are circumcised to God.

See, this is the argument that Paul makes in Colossians chapter 2.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

It's going to come up on the screen here.

Paul links circumcision to baptism in Colossians chapter 2, but look what he does.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

He says, In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

But then look what he says.

See what Paul's talking about there is a spiritual circumcision.

You see there?

It's made without hands.

He says, if you're in Christ, you were circumcised spiritually with a circumcision that was made without hands, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God who raised him from the dead.

See what Paul says is that your spiritual circumcision was symbolized through your physical baptism.

Baptism progresses the covenant because it reveals something internally.

Baptism reveals that a spiritual circumcision has taken place.

And so they were baptized as a new covenant symbol of what had taken place.

This is a significant progression from circumcision.

See, circumcision was this physical, ethnic inclusion into God's people, but baptism is a spiritual inclusion into God's people.

This is what baptism declares.

It's a declaration of faith.

I've been spiritually circumcised and I've been included into God's people.

That's why when we talked about Acts 2 in our message on church membership, we said that baptism was initially church membership.

I have two things significant to add as we think about infant baptism.

In Acts 15, a big debate arises in the church.

In fact, this was the biggest debate in the New Testament church.

It was this debate of should the Gentiles be circumcised?

If you were looking for a new church in the New Testament era, you would walk into that church, and the first thing you would look for is, hey, are you guys team circumcision or team non-circumcision?

It's kind of an awkward thing to divide about.

I don't know like what their step ones looked like, you know, like the pastor really had to clarify, hey, listen, we're team circumcision.

Maybe at the beginning of every service they said, hey, listen, okay, we're team circumcision.

If you're non-circumcision, just get out of here, okay?

We don't want you.

I don't know what it was like, but that was what the church was debating about.

Do we still need to be circumcised?

Well, it's significant that in Acts 15, as the uh apostles are debating about this, they don't just say, hey, well, listen, we got baptism.

Baptism is the New Testament new covenant circumcision.

That's not their answer.

Instead, they're actually debating the question: should we still practice this old covenant sign of circumcision?

And you would think if if baptism had progressed as the sign of circumcision, they would just say, well, no, don't worry about circumcision anymore because baptism covers it.

But it's also significant that in every clear example of baptism in scripture, belief is followed by the action of baptism.

That's what happens in Acts 2.

The people heard Peter's sermon, they believed and were baptized.

It's significant that that's our experience of baptism in the New Testament, and it's significant that it's also theologically the symbol of baptism.

See, look what Paul says in Romans chapter 6.3.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

This is going to come up on the screen as well.

In Romans chapter 6 3, Paul says this Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Romans 6 · chapter mention

The very symbol of baptism requires that you have had the spiritual reality experienced in you.

You're baptized in the waters of baptism because your heart has been baptized into the death of Jesus Christ.

And Paul says here, do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into death?

Well, if you were baptized as an infant, you are actually baptized supposedly into Christ Jesus at a time where you weren't baptized into his death because you didn't have any faith.

And so I just bring this up.

I hope that in this you find love and compassion.

I don't bring this up in any way if you're baptized as an infant to take away from that.

I think there's something especially beautiful about a covenant community coming around a family with a child and saying, Hey, we're going to support you in this.

I think that's beautiful.

And I think coming to an understanding of what the Bible says about baptism does not take away from your experience of that.

That's why we have child dedications, because we think there's something significant about coming around a family and saying, hey, we're going to support you in this.

But I hope that this is what you will do, that you will consider what Scripture says about baptism.

And whether baptism of those who do not have faith at the time is really what the scripture describes as baptism.

This is what we need to do, devote our life, and baptism is the public declaration that we have done that.

I want you to notice really quickly in this last half that the last thing that God does, that Abraham does in order to see God work in his life is submit his will.

Abraham listens.

That's why I told you that we would take most of our time in the first half, because the second half is really Abraham listening to God's word and circumcising his children and submitting his plan.

Look what Abraham does.

Abraham has another plan, doesn't he?

In verse 18, he says, Oh, oh, says the God, oh, that Ishmael might live before you.

But look what God says, no, but Sarah, your wife, shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.

Abraham has another plan.

But if God's going to work in our lives, we need to submit our plans to his will.

And I wonder if there are some in this room who the reason why God's not working on your life is because you're just holding on too tightly to some things that you need to let go of.

There are some hobbies in your life.

There are some things that are taking up your time.

There are some pursuits you have, whether it's entertainment or a job or money or whatever, it's taking away from the work that God could be doing in your life.

And what Abraham had to do is give up his plan, give up his will in order for God's will, which seemed impossible to be accomplished in his life.

And I wonder if by the Holy Spirit you're being convinced that there are plans that you need to set aside in order that, like Abraham, at the end of chapter 17, you might take up this act of obedience and listen to God's word.

This is what Abraham does.

This is why he's commended for his faith, because he hears God's call to circumcision and he listens.

And by listening, Abraham declares this God, I want you to work.

Church, is that your desire?

Is that your desire to see God work in your life?

God's revealed it to us that if that's our desire, we need to embrace our weakness.

We need to embrace our weakness, we need to devote our life, we need to submit our will to Him.

Let's pray together.

Father, God, thank you.

God, thank you that you are a God who desires to work in our life.

And you are a God who longs to powerfully display yourself through us.

And God, we take this time, Lord, to confess that we need your work, Lord.

God, I don't know what each person in this room is walking through, Lord.

I don't know what they're waiting for you to accomplish.

I don't know, Lord, the suffering that they're experiencing.

I don't know the pain that they're in.

I don't know the things that they've prayed for for years and years and still not have yet to be accomplished.

And yet, Lord, I do know this, God, that you desire to work.

And so I pray, Lord, that you would work in us, that you would till the soil of our hearts to be a people that are ready for you to work powerfully in our midst, God.

Lord, we submit our lives to you.

And we take this opportunity to sing, to respond and say, God, our life is yours.

Work in us as you will.

God, we pray this in the name of your son.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

When we as a church, we as a believer set our heart on God, God shows up to do amazing and powerful things.

And it's my prayer that that's your heart's desire to set it on the Lord this week.

To set it on the Lord, to seek him, to seek his face.

Trusting that when we do that as a believer, as a child of God, he shows up in power and works in our life to magnify and glorify his great name.

If you're new with us, excited to meet you.

Church, have a great week.

Know that you're loved.