Genesis - Part 32 | Pastor Paul McGee

Some saw the act of the woman with her alabaster box.

They said that it was waste. It's all about perspective and

reality. It's about what you deem

important, whether or not it's waste, Amen.

And it was for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

And so then Wednesday nights aren't waste.

Sunday morning. Sunday nights are not waste.

Personal time with God's not waste.

The other voices that say it is. But again, all comes down to

perspective, Amen. Hallelujah we have coming up in

the weeks to come. I'll just touch on this just

very quickly as far as announcements, May the 23rd is

game night starting at 7. May the 25th is summer kick off

only one service on that Sunday on the 23rd that game night.

If you never we had, we used to keep game nights regularly

going, but if you've never been to 1, you can bring bring your

own drink, bring a snack. If you want to bring something

to share, you can, that's fine. You don't have to whatever.

And then June the 1st through the 4th, which is a Sunday

through Wednesday's revival for the Adrian Sanford.

And so that will be in the month of June and today's already the

14th of May news flash, Amen. We're going to be turning to

Genesis chapter #17. Genesis chapter #17 I'll

probably read the first 4 verses and then allow you to be seated

tonight and then continue reading.

Tonight I want to talk about the journey of the journey of

covenant living, the journey of covenant living.

Then Genesis chapter #17 and we are going to begin with verse #1

the Bible says when Abram was 90 years old.

And 9:00 Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am the

Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect, and I will make

my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee

exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face, and

God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is

with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

All pray tonight. Father, we're so thankful for

your spirit, God, that we fear, feel here this evening, God, we

want to entertain that we want to, Lord, ebb and flow.

Lord, with that tonight, God. Lord, when it shows up, I know,

Lord, it's here Lord for purpose and on purpose.

I pray, O Lord, do your perfect work.

Lord, even through your word, God, the marriage of your spirit

and your word God, we see it Lord, over and over again in

your scriptures. God, how it had impact Lord

Jesus, upon circumstances, situations and in the moment,

God, I pray, Lord, we want to be open, Lord God to its impact

upon us tonight. The lovely name of the Lord

Jesus Christ that I pray Hallelujah and Amen of the

church say Amen, Hallelujah. You may be seated this evening.

The last recorded event that we had last week was the birth of

Ishmael in the Bible. Recorded this in the last verse

of chapter #16 that Abram was 86 years old whenever Haggard gave

birth to Ishmael. And so now we start out this

very first verse telling us that Abram is 99 years old.

So there has been 13 years of time that has elapsed between

the last verse and now this first verse that we have

necessarily no, no record of a man to speak of 13 silent years

between these chapters in which no doubt understanding that we

have a young Ishmael that has grown now to a a 13 year old,

right, a teenager now. And we know if you've had kids

of any moment in time, it, it don't even take 13 years for a

child's life to become wrapped up in your life or your life

wrapped up in theirs. And so you can only imagine the

type of attachment that Abram may have even had with Ishmael

for having 13 years of life now of involvement there and

believing maybe even perhaps based upon everything we looked

at up to this moment in time, child that would come from his

bowels and all these different things of how he may be even

believing against struggling with those doubts that perhaps

this is how God's promise was going to unfold for him.

Remember, this thing has grown in its scope.

It gets more detailed each time God comes to him and speaks to

him that we see here in the Scripture.

And it's even now in this chapter that there's more

details that are provided to him about the promise about the

promised son that would come through Sarah.

We even read in Scripture that whenever this is mentioned, even

later, like in verse #18 then Abraham's response is, oh, that

Ishmael might live before thee again.

For 13 years, that whole notion of Ishmael as the son of, of, of

his bowels has been woven into the heart of this, of this

father. And so as we seen in some of the

previous lessons, Abram absolutely is a believer.

He is known for his faith. He spoken of the New Testament

Scripture, the father of the faithful and about the footsteps

of his faith. Yet there is also times that he

goes through periods of doubts. And we looked at one time that

that seems to be illustrative of the Christian experience.

You're believers, but there's times that you struggle with

doubts. And so though he had doubts, he

never gave up on his faith walk. And I think that's a great

description of us in the modern world.

However, according to the record, Abraham's life up to

this point have been filled, hadn't been filled with constant

conversations or visitations from the Lord.

If you look at it, this is about the sixth time that we have

record of that God has either appeared or spoken to Abraham.

That's been about 6 * / a space of about 25 plus years that God

has showed up, spoke or appeared.

So I think sometimes we, we, we read it, we think, well, it's

just like every day we showed up.

Well, that's not really the case.

And in 25 years at least what we have record of is about 6 times

here at this point in time of God speaking or God appearing

unto Abram. And so with that being said,

there's time in between these visits that that could be years,

that could be years between these visits.

And yet Abraham's faith and relationship with God, this does

not necessarily weaken the in between these these mile markers

of visitations or hearing from God directly.

As a matter of fact, it seems to have maybe even strengthened it

to a certain degree because it's in these seasons that Abram had

to learn how to everyday walk with God, an ordinary faith

walk, right without just having a constant assurance of God

appearing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, no,

the in between times, just a walk with God.

And it's a thing that I think we often times overlook.

We all want the lick the paint sealing moments, right?

We want the the the stones turn into bread moments, but the

moments that's the true really trial, if not even proving of

our relationship are the in between moments when there's

nothing spectacular taking place or going on.

But we're just faithful in our faith in our walk with God.

And so God unveiled another layer then of his promise here

in this chapter. And as it has been with every it

seems like divine encounter, he is constantly drawn Abrams heart

back to the original word, the original promise, the original

vision. And this was necessary because

we, like Abram, we're prone to settling sometimes for less than

what God has promised to us, right?

We're, we're, we're prone to settle for more manageable

versions of God's promises, versions that ease the tension,

if you will, of waiting and it not happening yet, right.

But when we do that, we, we rob the promise of its true glory of

what God had originally stated and said.

And as his as the case even today, God shows up in our lives

and, and, and becomes what we need in the moment.

This is what God does for Abraham during these junctures.

When he shows up, he comes up, he reaffirms to him that he's

exactly what Abraham needs. For instance, back whenever

Abram fought against those different kings and got his his,

his nephew Lot and took him back to Sodom, we read in Scripture

that the Lord would show up and he would tell him that I am thy,

thy shield. I am thy shield.

It's after that moment that Sodom, the king of Sodom,

saying, Hey, why don't you just take all the spoils of this war

and just give me the souls or give me to this people.

It's in that same instance that the Lord shows up and he says I

am thy exceeding great reward, right?

And so it's like in the moment of context of whatever's taking

up place, God is showing up and letting him know what he is to

him. I mean, I know you're going to

been battling, you've been, you're going to battle more

battles, but I'm, I'm, I'm your shield and I'm, I'm your

exceeding great reward, all these things.

And so after years of silence, as it would seem according to

the record that we have, here's an attachment of, of this child

inside of, of, of, of Abram. And this is the child that is

the child of human effort, right?

The devisement really of Abram and Sarah coming up with a Plan

B because they didn't see necessarily God's plan A taking

place. And so God shows up and almost

in a certain sense reintroduces himself to Abram, not not merely

as a promise maker, but as the Almighty God.

The El should die, right? Because what he's doing and

doing this is basically I'm the almighty God.

I know you have all these bewilderments that make me going

through your mind, Abram, but I'm the Almighty God.

And there's no expiration date on my promise.

There's no expiration date on my promise.

There's no limit to my power. Regardless how much this son has

got woven into your heart, there is there's no limitation in my

power. And so he calls Abraham really

in verse #1 to this, this faith walk again.

He tells him even he says, Abram, walk before me.

We've had other people in Scripture thus far in Genesis,

like Enoch that have walked with God.

Noah has spoken of as having walked with God.

But here in particular, God is admonishing Abram to walk before

him. And that that phrase, and I know

it's just a switch of a preposition, but that phrase of

walk before me, it usually tends to, to, to illustrate that when

you walk before the Lord that you're, you're walking in

obedience or you're mindful of God's commands, you're walking

before the Lord. As a matter of fact, the net

Bible even describes it like this being that walk before the

Lord, live out your life. Some other translation said like

this live in my presence, walk in my presence, obey me, live in

constant awareness that I'm always with you.

This type of Abram walk before me, walk before me, walk with a

consciousness about me in my presence that I'm with you.

I'm not far from you, regardless of how it may feel that I'm the

Almighty God. And so God, God's called in for

us this nature of walking before him and be thou perfect is what

the scripture says. That's not calling this to

flawless living, but faithful living, faithful living.

Amen. Walk before me perfect.

The word perfect means whole or complete, right?

It, it, it means mature. So he's asking for a

wholehearted devotion, if you will, from, from, from Abram,

from a, a undivided devotion, right?

He's calling him to a deeper place, a more matured faith.

He's setting really a stage for what's about ready to be towed

and unfolded. He's he's calling him to a

higher plane and God, listen, God needs to show up in your

life on this journey and call you back to a place of walking

before him and call you to a place of another level of

maturity in him does something deeper than what you first got

your feet in when you first come to know the Lord you you want to

be able to look back over your life and say I came into the

shallow in the pool, but I'm not still there.

I've, I've, I've progressed to deeper ends of the pool.

Amen. And again, it's not about you

being flawless, but it's about you being faithful, right?

And allowing the Lord to pull you along on the journey and

being obedient to the nudging that he has upon our life.

And so that's important. And so while God reinforces his

covenant here, he also again broadens on it.

For instance, in Genesis 12 and one, his word to Abram was, I

will make of thee a great nation.

Now he's saying, thou shalt be a father of many nations.

We went from singular to plural. We went from singular to plural.

And so with this, this new status, it would be for Abram

and his promise, it seems to necessitate a name change from

Abraham to Abraham. Now we're going to be able to

call him Abraham. And we won't be saying, I won't

be up here saying Abraham all the time.

Amen. Abraham from Sarah to Sarah or

from Sarah to Sarah in verse #15 And so there's this name change.

The circumstances of the covenant has gotten a little bit

more clear, right? A little bit more deep detailed

for Abram this, this covenant relationship, there's a little

bit of an adjustment to it. It's not just being over a great

nation, but a father of many nations.

And as a result, in scripture, when there were those

adjustments, when the circumstances seem to change or

be altered just a little bit for someone in their life, all times

there was the the, the, the change of a name.

You see Jacob being from Jacob to Israel because there's a

change of his or there's adjustment to his relationship,

as it were, with the Lord. And so there's a change.

We see also then Simon being called from Simon, he's being

called Peter in the New Testament.

There's an adjustment in his circumstances and in his

covenant relationship with the Lord.

And So what we have here, this is more than just just, you

know, a change of name. It is really showcasing identity

shift. There's identity shift that is

going on. And so God really was aligning

Abraham's name with the very purpose that he had up on

Abraham's life in essence. And so this new name marked

Abraham as a covenant partner with God, right?

That he didn't belong to his own story, but he was a part of this

unfolding plan of the Lord himself.

Amen. And so when we see this in a

very similar way, and so so I'm doing this on purpose night.

We're going to jump back and forth a little bit with Old

Testament, New Testament. But in the same way, when you

come to the Lord in the modern day in this new covenant

relationship with the Lord, Amen.

We receive a new identity as well.

Galatians 327 got a lot of Bible tonight.

Galatians 327 says, For as many of you have been baptized into

Christ, have put on Christ. Baptism is more than a ceremony.

Baptism is more than an outward sign of the inward decision.

Baptism is more than that. It's a divine declaration that I

belong to Christ, right? Abraham's new name reflected his

new covenant identity. But baptism, it marks me too,

with a new name. That means that I'm a part of a

member of a covenant relationship as well.

In this world, God established circumcision.

We'll talk about that here a little bit.

I didn't go on and keep reading, did I?

Guess I better do that first. I forgot about it, folks.

Verse #5 let's go there. I'm sorry.

Amen. Neither shall thy name or this

won't make sense. He's like, What is he talking

about? Neither shall thy name anymore

be called Abram, but thy name shall be called Abraham.

For a father of many nations have I made thee, and I will

make the exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee.

And king shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant

between me and thee, and thy seed after thee and their

generations, for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee,

and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and

to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art stranger, all

the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession.

And I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, hath

thou shall keep my covenant, therefore thou and thy seed

after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye

shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee.

Every man child among you shall be circumcised, and ye shall

circumcise the flesh of the your foreskin, and it shall be a

token of the covenant between betwixt me and you.

And he that is 8 days old shall be circumcised among you.

Every man child in your generation, he that is born in

the house or bought with money, or any stranger which is not of

thy seed, he that is born in thy house and he that is bought with

thy money, must need to be circumcised.

And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting

covenant. And the uncircumcised man child

whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that so shall

be cut off from his people, he have broken my covenant.

All right. And so God established then one

of the aspects of his covenant as a sign of his covenant.

We're circumcision, right? It's one, it's one of the

aspects of the covenant that God desired for Abraham, Abraham and

his seat to keep. And so circumcision was a

visible mark in the flesh. It was an undeniable sign of

belonging to God's people. And it represented there was a

cutting away of a fleshly part of the nature, right?

And in that there's a declaration then for Abraham and

those that would be, that they would belong to this, this

family. And there was an obligation then

upon them of having done this, that they would walk faithfully

before the Lord. There was this sign, yes, that

was a daily reminder, more so to them than it was for God.

A daily reminder to them, I'm set apart.

I'm set apart for God. And so signs, when we talk about

signs and covenants or signs of covenants, they were meaningful

throughout God's Word. They had meaningful connections

to to the nature of the covenant.

What are you saying? God made a covenant with Noah,

the Noah covenant. I will not flood the earth again

with water. The sign, a rainbow which has

its appearance as a result of light coming through the prism

of raindrops of the foreskin. And yet the the the the the

covenant is that your descendants shall be many, which

requires reproduction. And we're not going to get too

deep. We got children among us all

right. But again, meaningful connection

to the nature of the covenant. We get New Testament Scripture,

we talk about that when you repent or baptize in Jesus name,

you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, that sound that

came from heaven as a rushing almighty win.

They begin to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave the

utterance, tongues. We read in the Book of

Revelation that there will be of every, every creed, every

person, every tongue, every nation that will be there.

It speaks of spiritual empowerment.

It speaks of inner transformation.

It speaks of heavenly citizenship.

It speaks in James 3/8 about that unruly member that no man

contain. Yet that thing there becomes the

very sign for this new covenant in Christ Jesus.

And So what circumcision was the Israel baptism is to the church.

The apostle Paul even make mention of this in New Testament

scripture of Colossians chapter #2 and verse 11.

He says in whom the whom being referred to you look back up the

verse 6 is Christ Jesus the Lord in whom that is Christ Jesus.

Also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands

and putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision

of Christ buried with him in baptism.

There it was a a literal cutting off the flesh.

Here in the New Testament when you're baptized in Jesus name,

it's for the remission or removal of your sins, those

fleshly aspects of your life. And so it's through baptism that

our old life is cut away right through repentance through

through that burial of the old man and so we're identified then

with God as his covenant people. New Testament tells us Galatians

3 and verse #29 if ye be Christ, you belong to Him, then you're

Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

You get drafted into this thing of being Abraham's seed and

heirs of the promise whenever you are baptized, New Testament

covenant, baptized New Testament circumcision in the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ. And with that, you know what

else happens? The Bible tells us so it

happens. It's a promise even that'll

happen, that we experience a inner transformation, Amen.

Following Baptist and ye shall receive.

It is a promise. It's a circumcision of a heart.

There's, there's this external, if you will, of a baptism, but

there's a internal baptism too. It's the baptism of the Spirit,

Amen. And it is a mark upon our life,

both inwardly and outwardly. And let's pause and just take a

moment to realize Christianity has both inward and outward

signs, inner and outward expressions.

Again, baptism is not some mere formality.

We're not up here trying to get someone's name on some church

membership row. We're trying to get someone's

name on a higher row. Amen.

Amen. And so in the new covenant,

circumcision, an act of obedience, active obedience,

brought a inner reality for that person.

Abraham's name change, interestingly enough, was tied

to this covenant relationship with that God.

It's tied together. God talks a little bit more

detail about the circumcision, and in the same context, he's

changing names. Amen.

And it's a pattern that continues even in Scripture.

In Acts 238, the Bible calls us to repent, be baptized, everyone

of us in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission

of sins. Because in baptism we take on

the name of Jesus. We're buried with Christ, we're

raised the Roman. We now then as a result of that

carry his name. We also carry his authority.

And so Abraham was marked with a new name.

And so we're marked with a new name too in Jesus name baptism.

It's a name that's above every name.

Again, the point though wasn't for it just because the Bible

says in Deuteronomy 30 and verse #6 here is Moses, he's speaking

to the Israelites. He said, and the Lord thy God

will circumcise thine heart. Look at this now he ordered, He

ordered all the way back here of Abraham an outward external

circumcision. He said, But the Lord will

circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy soul echoes this in

the in Romans chapter 2 and verse 28.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

He says, For he is not a Jew, which is 1 outwardly, neither is

that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is

a Jew which is 1 inwardly. And circumcision is that of the

heart in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not

of men, but of God. So baptism is hidden and he

still marks us through baptism in his name.

We're given the new identity, right?

Spiritual circumcision of the heart, a new identity in Christ

Jesus. And we're to rise as as as God

is admonishing Abram, we are to rise to walk before him

wholeheartedly devoted. And that was the call of

Abraham. And it remains the same call

even still today. And so although, though you

might say, well, well, Ishmael, he, he had to be circumcised as

well. Yeah, Ishmael received the sign

of the covenant. But again, from previous weeks,

he still like the right mother. He still like the right mother.

As a matter of fact, Galatians 423 it says that he who was of

the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman

was by the promise. Here's the thing concerning the

promise. The promise and the promised

seed was entirely the work of God, a barren womb.

A barren womb had to open up in order for Isaac to be born.

That was entirely the work of God.

That was whereas Ishmael was more so the the movings and the

moorings of of two people according just to life that

should come together and there would be the product of a child.

So Ishmael illustrate fleshly effort, whereas Isaac, it's

coming from a barren womb, completely God.

So regardless it always has to be totally God.

It's not by works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians says obedience, yes, but it's not because you earned

it or you did it or you made it happen.

Every male in Abraham's household had to be circumcised,

the Scripture says, where they were born in the house or

whether they were bought with money.

There were no exceptions, no exceptions whatever.

And not being circumcised meant this.

Not being circumcised meant not being a part of God's people.

That's what the Word says. And it took place, the Bible

says, on the 8th day. And it did so because God

specified as much. So McGee kind of touched on it a

little bit medically convenient though as well, right?

With the vitamin K, there's another, there's another protein

plasm out there that heightens on the 8th day that is a blood

clotting agent as well. And so it's the safest,

earliest, if you will, time to be able to accomplish this.

Look at verse #15. And God said to Abraham, As for

Sarah thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarah, but Sarah

shall 90 years old bear. And Abraham said, And to God,

oh, that Ishmael might live before thee.

And God said, Sarah, thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed,

and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I'll establish my

covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with

his seed after 12 Princess shall be shall he begat, and I will

make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish

with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this time set

time in the next year. And he left off talking with

him. And God went up from Abraham.

Folks, look at all this language, even in this chapter

about the covenant promises. I'm just going to hit a few

verses here. Verse #2 I will multiply thee

exceedingly. Verse number six, I will make

the exceeding fruitful. Same verse, I will make nations

of thee. Verse #7 an everlasting

covenant. Verse 8, an everlasting

possession. I mean, throughout this chapter,

if you were to go through it all the times that God says I will,

I will, I will, I will, it's overwhelming, I will do this, I

will do that, which does nothing more but shows how much of this

covenant relationship depends upon Him.

Amen. Matter of fact, until verse 8,

God, God has emphasized people, people, people, people, people,

like nations, people type of stuff.

And then here he, he speaks about the land.

Because remember, if you're going to have a great nation,

that means people and land. And now it's not just a great

nation, it's nations. So that's going to require

people and land. So when we think about this,

nations, yeah, there's going to be nations through Ishmael,

there'll be nations through Isaac, there'll be nations later

through another wife of Abraham's, Katura.

He'll marry in Genesis 25 and there'll be people, there'll be

nations there. So whenever we think though

about Israel today, we remember verse 7 and verse 8, Everlasting

covenant in a everlasting possession when we're talking

about land, which is what things are often refuted and thought

about today concerning Israel, but we have everlasting.

Dennis Prager mentions that ABBA Aban, Israel's first Israel's

foreign minister from 1966 to 1974, expressed it like this.

He said Israel's the only nation whose citizens live in the same

land, speak the same language and practice the same religion

as their ancestors did 3000 years ago.

What's that interpret? Everlasting.

Everlasting. So matter of fact, another

aspect that was shared with Abraham about the people was in

verse 6, that kings would come from him.

This is the first time this is mentioned this far in the

covenant, the promise that kings would come from him.

You have Saul, you have David, you have a myriad of other

probably most notable Jesus Christ.

Huh. I mean, the genealogy of Matthew

really, really opens with this. The first verse, the genealogy

of Christ Jesus, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, it

states the son of David, the son of Abraham, and specifically

Abraham is also told there in verse #16 that God, or yes, 16

that God will give him a son through Sarah.

So see, it's got the focus has gotten narrow.

The focus has gotten narrow. It's not just nations and it's

not just from your bowels, but it's gotten narrow.

This is going to come through Sarah, all right.

And so without doubt, now Abram's got to be at a place

knowing Ishmael isn't the One. Ishmael isn't the one.

And it's a little neat to me and may not be to you, but it's neat

to me because God promises similar things to Abram and

similar things to Sarah. Abram, a father of many nations,

Sarah, a mother of nations. Abram, kings will come from you.

Sarah kings will come from you. God has a couple in mind for

this divine promise. Amen.

He has a couple of mine. As a matter of fact, we read

concerning these things. It just bewilders me.

But we see that whenever Abram hears about all this that he

falls down on his face and the Bible speaks that he laughs and

and the questions that that Abram begins to pose.

He doesn't say out loud, but he says in his heart.

It's just internal dialogue as he thinks about how old he would

be when this child is born. How old Sarah would be when this

child is born and is laughing? And according to New Testament

scripture, what I gather from this is this is that his

laughter is more about amusement or maybe struggling a little bit

with doubt than believe. And the reason why I say that

because doubt and unbelief are not the same doubt.

You just have a momentary uncertainty, like within the

context of your faith, you're having a momentary uncertainty,

right? Doubt is wondering how doubt is

wondering when it still desires to believe.

It just don't know all the mechanism of the but unbelief,

it's just willful refusal. Doubt it.

Doubt is just struggling to believe, but unbelief is a

decision not to believe. So God has reassured Abraham,

done a lot of reassurance already in the opening of this

chapter. So no doubt.

Why would God say and share all these details if it wasn't true,

if it wasn't going to happen? I mean, he could just stay vague

as he was in the beginning. Why become more detailed with me

if it wasn't going to take place?

Let me ask you this concerning promises in your own life.

If God has been very detailed with some of His promises, why

would he be so detailed if he wasn't going to come through

with it? He believed God.

I know that he does because Paul's commentary on this the

apostle Paul New Testament Scripture, scripture

interpreting scripture tells me in Romans 417.

He's referring to this moment as it is written.

I have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he

believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and called

those things which be not as though they were, who against

hope believed in hope that He might become the father of many

nations. According to that which was

spoken. So shall thy seed be called.

And being not, look what it says.

This is what Paul's commentary on this moment is.

And being not weak in faith, maybe he had some doubts and

uncertainties. But not weak in faith.

Unbelief in doubt are not the same.

Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now

dead when he was about 100 years old neither yet the deadness of

Sarah's womb. That's the reason I want to say

when he's laughing. He must be more so amused or or

just a little bewildered of how not that it wouldn't take place.

But how will it take place? Not that it wouldn't happen, but

when will it happen? Not being weak in faith, he

considered not his own body now dead when he was about 100 years

old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.

He staggered not, the Bible says, staggered on at the

promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving

glory to God. You hear me again?

You could be strong in faith and have momentary times of the why

or the when or the how, without spilling over into unbelief.

And so God answered Abraham's doubts, his struggles, his let

Ishmael live before you, God, right?

I love it. Verse 19.

He basically tells him, Sarah, thy wife shall bear thee a son.

Indeed, indeed. And think of the certainty of

this again. He is shared number one.

He's called this child's name before it's ever conceived #2 He

has unveiled the sex of this child before he's ever conceived

#3 In verse #19 I think it is. He's already talking about this

boy's children before he's ever conceived.

How much certainty do you need about the promise when he's

labeled all these things before it's ever been conceived?

Name, sex, and even his children's children.

The covenant will be established, Amen.

The covenant will be established, but God says it's

going to be established with Isaac.

But Ishmael, I'm not forgotten him.

I know he's part of your bowels as well, Amen.

He will be blessed. He'll be blessed, but the

covenant is with Isaac. Look, even if you will, the

Bible tells us in verse #20 that Princess, Princess will be born

of Ishmael, but kings will come from Isaac.

Hallelujah, that excites me. Verse #23 I won't hold you much

longer. In Abram took Ishmael his son

Abraham. Sorry, I'm going to have to get

out of Abraham mode now. It's going to be hard.

And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in

his house, and all that were bought with his money.

Every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised

the flesh of their foreskin in the self same day as God had

said unto him. And Abraham was 90 years old and

nine. God bless him when he was

circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and Ishmael his son

was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his

foreskin. In the cell same day was Abraham

circumcised, and Ishmael his son, and all the men of his

house born in the house and bought with money of the

stranger, were circumcised with him.

Abraham, 99. Ishmael 13 and they were

circumcised. Great importance from just these

few verses that stated more than once here is that this happened

on the same day that they were told about it.

Same day they were told about it, they acted upon it.

We have a lot of New Testament precedent.

We urge this. Even the people around here that

and I get it. Sometimes you baptism is so

important that you need to do it in the moment.

I'm going to finish just with some scriptures here New

Testament precedent that kind of underscores this in the self

same day stuff Acts 1633. This is the story of the

Philippian jail or Paul and Silas.

The Bible says that he took them speaking he the Philippian jail

or took Paul and Silas the same hour of the night and washed

their stripes and Speaking of himself was baptized he and all

of his straightway, his household straightway.

Acts let's go. Can we we do this Brother Mason,

you attract me here. Acts 2 and verse #41 the day of

Pentecost. Then they gladly received his

word. Then they they gladly received

his word were baptized and the same day they were added to them

about 3000. So same day baptism following

Peter's preaching, Acts chapter #8 and verse #12 concerning the

Samaritans. And when they believe Philip

preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, the name and

the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized.

Both men and women baptized followed immediately after the

belief. Acts chapter #8, verse 36 and

38, the Ethiopian eunuch. And as they went on their way,

they came into a certain water. And the eunuch said, see, here's

water, what doth enter me to be baptized?

And Philip said That thou believe is with all thine heart

thou mayest. And he answered and said, I

believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

And he commanded the chariot to stand still.

And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the

eunuch, and he baptized him. So the eunuch was baptized on

the spot when water was readily available.

And Acts Chapter 9 and verse #18 Saul of Tarsus, Amen.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Or Paul, the Bible says immediately there fell from his

eyes, as it had been scales, and he received sight for with, and

arose and was baptized. Paul was baptized immediately

after this conversion experience.

Acts chapter #10, verse 47 and 48, concerning Cornelius and the

Gentiles. Can any man forbid water they

have just received the Holy Ghost?

Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized

which have received the holy as well as we?

And he commanded them to be baptized and name the Lord, then

prayed they him to tarry certain days baptized immediately after

receiving the Holy Ghost. Acts chapter 16 and verse 15.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

Lydia. And when she was baptized, judge

me to be faithful to the come to my house, and abide here.

And she constrained us. She was preached to and upon her

believing she was baptized, he said in the self, same in the

self same day. They were all circumcised the

day that they heard of it, the day they learned of it, the day

they did it. And so I urge people around here

now, I have scriptural precedent.

I was reading Brother Walls. He has a commentary on Genesis.

So I've been reading along there.

Well, I don't have it in my nose, but he says you don't have

to wait on grandma to get there. He did.

I'm just being honest. He said get baptized.

God's promises are fulfilled by his power.

All right? Fulfilled by his power, not

human effort. You understand with me, I'll

come to a close. Circumcision now in the New

Testament for us baptism that God is marking the people, He's

identifying the people and he's calling us to wholehearted

devotion. And the command still remains,

walk before me and be thou perfect.

I rose to walk faithfully. I rose to walk faithfully and

leave Him to accomplish the side of His promise that is up to Him

to accomplish. So this is a journey.

This is a journey of a covenant walk.

And we as you walk with the Lord, I'm going to say that

you're going to find out more details about Him and His way

that you didn't formally know. But when you know it, then you

walk in it. You know it, then you walk in

it. The tragedy is knowing it and

not walking in it. New Test Scripture talks to

those who are ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of

the truth. Knowledge, exponential

knowledge, experiencing it, exponential knowledge, ever

learning. Then for every Wednesday night

Bible study I was there. For every lesson he taught on

the book of Genesis, bless God, but never coming to the

knowledge. We're just up here spouting.

You're soaking up like a sponge and it's leaking out.

Amen. Come to the knowledge.

Let's about our heads today, Father, I come to you today,

God, I'm thankful, Lord Jesus, God, tonight for your Lord never

changing word. I pray, O Lord, it's applicable

then, it's applicable now. I pray, O God, help me to see

where it applies in my own heart and in my own life.

I pray, O God, today, help us, Lord, on this journey, this

covenant, Lord Jesus journey. God, as we grow in you, grow in

faith, God, grow in our walk. I pray, O Lord Jesus today, God,

that we add Lord God to virtue, Lord Jesus, and we add Lord to

this God. We're always in a mode of God

increasing Lord Jesus in you until we grow into the stature

of the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, as New Testament scripture, Lord tells us, help

us, oh God today, God to walk that walk in the name of Jesus

Christ that I pray Hallelujah and Amen and the church say

Amen, Amen. God bless you in Jesus name.

Have a good week, stay well.