In & Out Of The Tent | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from axt church. We hope this message

will light up your day. The title today the message you will be in

and out of the tenth Okay, in and out of the tent. Okay.

Turn with me to Genesis chapter eighteen. Okay, and we're gonna read

here from verse one to verse eight k. From verse one, he says

that then the Lord appeared to him, and him is Abraham by the terrible

myth tree of memory. Okay. And this is a famous tree, the

tree where Abraham first came upon when he came into the land of Canaan.

Okay. This tree has a lot of memories, the tree where he settled

down and he built his tent. Okay, that he will call it the

tree where he met the Lord. Okay. Now he's at this place again,

and he says that the lot appeared to him as he was sitting in

the tenth or in the heat of the day. Now these are very important

details said, you must understand. Says that he was sitting in the tenth

door. Okay. But the tree is slightly for the way it say.

For example, I'm here and towards the end there roughly around there. Okay.

He was sitting at at the ten door, and the timing was that

it was hot on the afternoon heat of the day. In verse two,

he says that Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men

were standing by him. And when he saw them, he ran. Okay.

He ran from the ten door to meet them, and bowed himself to

the ground. Okaye, notice all these important details. Three people he saw.

He ran, and he bowed himself in verse three and said, my

lord, if I have now found favor in your side, okay. Underlying

this, do not pass on by your servant. I'm reading from the esb

version. By the way, okay, please let a little water be brought,

and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, and I

will bring a mass of bread that you may freshen your hearts. They may

refresh your hearts, and after that you may pass by. In as much

as you have come to your servant. They said, do as you have

said in verse six. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, his

wife, and said, quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal,

need it and make cakes. And Abraham ran to the herd, took a

tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened

to prepare it. So he took butter and milk and the calf which he

had prepared, and said it before them, and he stood by them under

the tree as they ate all these small little details he's talking about. It's

like you're having a previewer at the kitchen. What's happening at the kitchen?

How many of you like to watch kitchen shoulder? You know? Not somendayside

people wat watch shorts in one minute to night. The video has no has

no odd no no conversation. What it's just it's just a sound. You

know. Everybody like get hungry, but you get hungry just by the sound

of it. And oh okay, I feel I know what I want.

I want to eat for a dinner already. Okay, so interesting, Okay,

there's a lot of things to learn here, a lot of things.

I was I was reading through this and just spending some time. It's like,

go out, Why is it that you want to speak to us?

That was so important for your church, for your people to learn? Okay,

So now it would be a context that you must understand and for those

of you who am not or at least a kind of like forgotten about Abu

Abraham. Abraham at this stage has an old man again. He's an old

man. He's ninety nine years old. He stayed in this his left is

home for about forty plus years, had many great successes. He's defeated you

know, six armies, you know, on his own with three hundred people.

Need to think three hundred people. Okay, he's rescued his nephew.

He's gone to Egypt and come out before. He has met no with Pharaoh

and came out before. He also had very bad lows. Okay. He

was promised by God that he would be the father of many nations, but

he was still childless at that time. Okay. And he is a foreigner.

He's not local. He's a foreigner. He doesn't have a house,

he doesn't even rant, you know, he's just like a tent. He

pitched a tent in a foreign land. And God said that, hey,

your name is I'm going to change it from Abraham to Abraham to be the

name of father of many nations. Okay, how many of you would like

to change your name when you're ninety years old? Huh? Suddenly I asked

you to change right name right now? People like, what in the world

are you thinking out? You know, people changed their icy address, how

to vote that? But suddenly want to change name because God gave me a

new meaning to my name. Hey, when you change your name, it's

a big deal. In means that, you know, you change your identity,

your lineage, who you are. But Abraham was changing his name,

his name forward because God gave his name his name based on a promise,

not based on the past. You know, Wow, you are giving yourself

a name to who you like to become. Wow, So you know,

it's a very bold step of move. He's made a lot of mistakes and

because of although he believed God, he waited for so long and his wife

was not able to give him a child. And you know, sometimes you

hear God's calling, God's promise. Time passes on one year, five year,

ten year, twenty forty fifty. You go to so many church services,

you attended so many prayer services, people had prayed for you so many

times already. And yet your your your desire of your heart, for the

calling of God, for the promise of God, for the blessing. Of

course, still gets delayed, happens to your heart, isn't it? Wait?

Is God? Do you believe? God is still good? God is

still faithful? You know? And actually there's one And recently I heard this

very powerful message he's talking about. You know, in a lot of us,

we focus so much on chasing our calling and our blessing and our promising

God. Actually we shouldn't be chasing that. And he said that, you

know, you look at Abraham, you look at Samuel, you look at

David, you like Isaiah, you look at Jesus, or they had calling.

But yet the one thing that Abraham made a mistake was that he chose

to chase the calling instead of the presence of God. Never substitute that,

you been right, so, because when you chase the calling so much,

you'll be so hungry. Is this card? Is this card? Is this

car? You get me right? You're not well. Maybe you've got a

job of Maybe this is the will of card. Maybe you've got an opportune

opposite. Maybe this is the will of God. Maybe this is the will

of God. You get me in right, you get so, you get

so caught up with it, you know. So in the same way Abraham,

he's why he didn't have a child, and his wife came up with

her idea, Hey, why don't you use my mate as a surrogate mother?

And you going to hurt and have a child. Then you think about

it, Hey, maybe this is the will of God. I know,

and if I get a child, it's the will of God. No,

wow, you know. And somewhere it's the mate belongs to my wife.

God's promised. Never say who the who the lady will Bema stay under from

my seat on lima. Wow, I think all the setting for the gardener

that it is the will of God? Is there one? And now you

see it checks nine out of tener but that the main thing is not checking.

Now that's is it where God's presence is? You check nine out of

tener by then you missed it. And because you're so focused, you're so

hardened, and seeing that that the miracle happened, you win ahead and God

allows it to teach us a lesson. You get me in right to teach

us a lesson so that you know and out of that because when you're so

focused on chasing that the calling instead of the presence of God, you get

an ishmael. You get me in right. Let me give you an example.

Look at the prophet Samuel did. He had a calling, He had

a greater call. Great calling isn't here from a young boy so many times

now God spoke to him in a dream, and even his teacher and the

priest Eli recognized it. And some more he was leaving under Eli, who

had two corrupt sons, and all the rest of U of Israel recognized Samuel

as the one who was anointed by God. But yet did Samuel for one

time he was so focused on the calling that he usurp and then you plant

himself as the new priest of Israel. Never never chased the calling, even

though he received it, he never chased it. He chased the presence of

God where he feared God, true or not, it's so important. And

David the same thing as well. Caught and annointed up by Samuel, did

he said, he planted himself as the king. All the things that could

be set there one or not. But yet, you see, it doesn't

mean that you are caught. Everything will be right for you one. But

yet when you are caught, the greatest testing comes in. Whether you fail,

you miss, and you fail by it by the thin hair of one

mistake scary than it so scary enough, so God gives us a calling.

No, just be all you're done, lady. Everything you do and you

touch every every good sign and favor it is eye is from God. No,

then there's no mean it means that you've got to open your eyes even

wider. Ye mean, right, it's all scary by so true. That's

what the Bible keeps teaching us again and again and again and again. Some

of you probably have you desire. You have a desire, you have a

hard you have a compassion, you're for calling you maybe someone you know,

you you you have a dream and these are very precious and important things.

And then you have an Abraham moment in your life. I understand that,

but more than anything else, don't get caught up with it. Niemen,

Right, Chase is never the calling so much, you know, I mean,

it's good, but it will never replace the presence of God never.

And I'm gonna do they I'm going to share with you here. I'm going

to read a bit further here what it is. You know what Abraham learned

because he chase so much. They he gone in Ishmael. And then when

God said that I will come and make you a father nations. And then

and this they're gonna have children. And the Abram said, let Ishmael be

Ishmael is thirteen years olready. God said, no, he is your son,

but he is not the son of promise. He is the son of

the flesh. Right, he was the son. He was the son of

the flesh, not some of the promise. So you can with children you

fulfilled. You think you you you you created this, call this fulfillment.

But it is not God's fulfillment. And God actually calls me, you know,

you know why I to realize it. No, this is not why

is what I wanted? Okay? And God asking if you believe, I

will give you a sign, and if you believe me give you a sign.

Was a sign sign of circumcision? When what is sircumcision? Sircumision doesn't

make you right chous enough, then goodness, then goodness. Succesion is not

a sign. The same way a weading ring doesn't mean that you're in love.

You know, didn't they give you wedding reing means you're in love and

then die or I tell you, or we go. I'll just throw a

wading rings. Right, I love you, I love you, I love

you. What is a wedding ring mean? Wedding ring is a seal.

It's a covenant, sign of a covenant. That's all it is. It's

just a symbol represent what you really are. So circumission represents what the all

has gone and the new has come. So you're I think of the flesh

that's gone and the new has come on the eighth day. That's why it's

on the circumsion is on the eighth day of a newborn. Ah, did

you know that it's on the eighth day, eighth beginnings, on new beginnings.

Okay, So the for the Jewish community on the eighth day day was

circumcised their children on the eighth day, the all has gone and the new

has come. So for Abraham, God was renewing a new covenant with him

in a way. The promise you did. I gave you a calling.

I gave you a promise, but you did not believe me. You believe

me out of your flesh, and you came out a call him enough fulfilling

this calling out of flesh. And each mail, eachmail will have its destiny.

He will have his promise I will, I will attend to but he

was never my main plan. It was still some I still have work to

do with you, okay, and so I say that give you a circumcise.

The new has come, humble yourself before me. So now this is

exactly where Abraham is. Okay. So you now understand who I am.

He is not a man who is like retired and happy. He is a

man, I would say, a broken man who is made a lot of

mistakes. Okay. And this is where we start. So this is very

important to understand how Abraham is. Now it says here that three men appeared

to Abraham. Okay, three men appeared to Abraham. Now, first of

all, we must understand that you know this three person it's not the Trinity,

okay, It's not God, the Father, the Son of the Holy

Spirit. Okay. It's very clearly said that. You know, some people

will say it is, it is, it is, but it's not.

And we know that it is not because in chapter nineteen it says that you

know there were angels, okay, two angels, but one of them was

clearly the Lord God himself. Okay, it was clearly the Lord God himself,

and two angelic beings. Okay. Now it says here that Abraham was

sitting at the ten to in the heat of the day when he saw them.

Okay, So Abraham was arresting because it was hot hot. This is

an hour you will not go. How many of you like to go lunch

and then walk in the heat of the sun. All right, you'll read

the grab, right you the grab? So and so Abraham was doing the

same thing. Was hot, nobody will go out to work, no matter.

All their cattles were inside, all their all their servants were So he

was arresting at the tent, but he saw three men away from him that

were at the terraban tree. Okay, So what did he do? He

ran to them. He did not stay arrested under the tent. Now why

did he do that? Okay? The clue is given by his what he

says, And he says, what okay, if I have now found your

found favor in your side, and do not p us on by your servant?

Okay. The phrase do not pass on by your servant? What does

it mean? It means Abraham was telling them, don't deny me the opportunity

to be a blessing, to be hospitable to you. Okay, don't pass

me by. I know you are here, but don't pass me by.

Okay, even if it is the most inconvenient time, the hardest time of

the day, even when I'm resting in my most comfortable dessert place, don't

pass me by. So there's a few things we learn here, and it's

quite consistent we've got because of all. When God comes, he doesn't come

announce. You know that when God wants to come to speak to you,

he doesn't come. Hey, I'm gonna make an appointment. God. If

you do not make appointment, not going to see you. I don't see

it in my Google calendar. Sorry, I'm a bit busy right now.

Oh this is my I'm taking my annually right now. I can't do it

right now. It doesn't work that way. When Jesus came, was he

announced? It wasn't kind of announced, but not to the world, but

to only a select few people who were awake and attentive. Isn't it the

three wise men who came from a far and they knew they paid attention.

God will come. He says that even the Bible says that God the hour

will come when God comes like a thief. Isn't it in the night?

Isn't it when everybody is steep, when everybody is not awake and God comes

and it is the first thing we know? God comes like a thief.

And a lot of times in your own life, do you know that God

is even doing something in your life? Are you even aware in situations where

you're uncomfortable, where you feel like heys someone offended me? But I'm lost,

I feel confused, I feel not close to God at all. You

know why am I putting such a responsibility? I feel it's unfair. You

get me in right? This is these are things that they get you in

the heat of the sun. You know, you get me in right,

scorching heart, uncomfortable, that gets you out of your comfort zone? Isn't

it? Why God can't I always thought that God would come to my tent

where I'm resting in the heat of the same God understands, MA, Yeah,

God understand my situation. MA. I'm so busy now. I used

to say, Oh, I got busy with my children, busy with now

with my business. Busy, you know, with so many ministries, not

busy with so many plans, you know, busy building up, my my,

my, my finances, and I need to feed. Oh, come

right in the middle of it. No, not that I choose one,

but this is how good, how God does it? God comes in such

a manner and he comes okay, And the question is how the question of

the two parts do we see? Do we see that it is God?

Because for Abraham here he sees only because I believe he sees, because he

is broken. When you are comfortable, you're contented, you don't see really

see God, because he sees because I believe, because he is wary,

he is tired. He says, here and they say, don't pass me

by. Why do he said they don't pass me by? Why did he

say that, don't don't don't If you're here, don't go God? Because

I believe that you, Like I said, Abraham is tired. He's been

doing things out of his own ways, out of his own flesh. No,

he's out of his own family wisdom and things like that. And he's

been failing again and again. Okay, and he reads her card. That's

enough. If you now I see it's No, it's like this, you

know, his situation like that. A lot of us we are trying to

find our own rest. You know, we find our own rest by finding

our tent away from the sun to sit there. We think that maybe we

take a break or the like that, maybe we do this, maybe we

scale down, maybe we do that, that then we will have a true

rest. Abraham is already. Does he deserve arrest? Sure that he does

in a way certain deserve arrest. Maybe get the young men to do you

know, that's why he got the main kuma. But do you see that?

No, he was directing everybody, run these run there, and he

go and serve himself. And he didn't ask a young man to serve.

He served himself. Okay, it's quite interesting, you know he is.

He is tired of doing things his own way and missing it out. He's

trying, he's trying to rest in his tent, but he finds no rest.

He has a physical rest, but his spiritual his spirit is not rested.

You know how many times do you know that I need to go arrest

and then you go for holiday. You find a physical rest in a monotone

for a while and away from the pressure, but yet that it comes back

again. There's no spiritual resolution, peace and grounding in your life. Abraham

has been resting for a long time, but then he is so he is

so tired. But when he sees God appearing, the first thing is that

is that he runs towards him. You know why does he do that?

Because Abraham realizes that true spiritual rest can only be found in the presence of

God. You are so tired, there, said God. Don't pass me

by the moment you are here. I want to be there because there is

where your true rest comes from. Now, if you don't believe what I'm

saying, if you think I'm stretching here, turn with me to Exodus chapter

thirty three. Okay, and I'll teach you about what the presence of God

means for all of us. Okay, turn with me to Exodus chapter thirty

three. And this is Moses, Moses speaking. Now. The people are

the people of Israel are stubborn. They are always complaining, and God decides

their goal. Since you are so stubborn, you reject me. I'm not

going to follow you anymore. Okay, and this is part of here.

In verse twelve, from Exodus to the Tree, verse twelve, Moses responds

to God. You see how he responds. Okay. In verse twelve,

It says here, then Moses said to the Lord, see you say to

me bring up this people, but you have not let me know whom you

will send with me. Yet you have said I know you by name,

and you have also found grace in my side. Now and then Moses begin

to bargain with God. Now, therefore I pray, if I have found

grace in your side, show me now your way, okay, then I

may know you, and then I may find grace in your side and considered

that this nation is your people. What Moses is basically doing is said that

God, when you first called me out, you said that I have found

favor in your side. You send me to a place that I don't even

know whether someone will go. Since you have said that right now, do

I still have favored in your side if you If I do, then show

me your way. If I'm still that, no, that that person that

you found favor away. So what Moses is doing is like trying to remind

God, appealing to God to the relationship that they had to who God is.

Okay. Then God replied to to most is saying, and he said,

my presence not the small pe, but capital p It's a capital right,

it's a capital P presence, not any presence, but God's power.

The presence. You see how we're always chasing this different present. But this

is the presence, God's shore kind glory. The presence of God will go

with fear. And when God's presence go with us, what will we have

rest? And get it? Find me right now. When God's presence says

we will have rest, that's the first thing we get. We will have

rest. That is where true rest comes from. In Verse fifteen, it

says that then He's said to him most and said to him, if your

presence does not go with us, do not bring us out of here.

If you, if you, if your presence don't go, we don't want

to go. Sounds like Abraham, isn't it. He knows trying for so

many years, I'm trying to rest, but I got no rest. But

now God comes in for me. This is the true rest. It's kind

of funny and the true rest and makes me more busy. But he's busy

longing for that true rest. He's busy and hungry for that P capital P

presence of God. He knows after ninety nine years, he knows now where

true rest is you can be so longer nine nine years. I hope it

doesn't take that long for us to discover then. Okay, so that's where

God's true presence and true rescues. Nine Verse sixteen, it says, for

how then will it be known that your people and I have found grace in

your side except you go with us. So we shall be separate your people

and I from all the people who are on the face of the earth.

Okay, well, Moses, very good, hey, And verse seventeen,

so the Lord said to Moses, I will also do this thing that you

have spoken for. You have found grace in my side, and I know

you by name. Wow, God reminds him. You indeed say go ahead.

You indeed grace myself, not because of anything, because I chose to

show favor for you, and you remembered that you are here not because of

your marriage. You are here by my grace. And you continue to ask

for my grace even though you are a stiff neck and stubborn people. But

you believe that I can show grace, and you yield it to it,

and I will show grace. Makes sense. And now when you humble yourself,

grace gives more grace whenever makes sense, and we humble ourselves grace,

grace, more grace. And so see both what is the common thing between

what do they call it? Abraham and Moses? There they know God,

They understood God. They understood what they what? What? What? What

understood? What? How? What God really desires? Okay, now I

wrote here that rest is the spiritual rest is the rest. They can only

be found in God's presence. You know that you have that true rest when

you experience God knowing you. God knows you by name, You experience his

favor. Not only you know that God knows you, You experience his favor.

You know that God's you know it's not of all things that know surrounds

your life. You experience God's grace. You all know that His eyes is

towards you, and his grace is with you. And it's a grace that

does something to you. Not only are you wrested, you desire to know

God's way, just like Abraham and most Star. Show me your way.

When you are truly wrested, are you? What would you do? You

stop wrestling God? Is it this way? Is it this way? Is

it this way? All your methods isn't it is it this business? Is

it this country? Is it this timing? Is it this you keep asking?

Not? Hey? Is it this? Not showing God true? Rest?

Is like God to show me the way? What do you decide?

He still us bargaining with God, and still us striving with God. We'll

say to God, I want to know your way. I don't just want

to know your way. I want to know you. I want to know

you who you are. I want to know how you think. I want

to know what you desire more than anything else, and I want to be

known by you. So my question and my application to all of us here

is how hungry and desperate are you for God to leave from just trying to

rest like abrahood at the ten there? Or are your eyes open to see

that even in the heat of the sun, God is with you. God

is moving and it's working in the heat of the sun and sometimes in the

heat or something means your difficult moments, what will get you out of your

seat, out of your tent? Like I said, you are in the

temper, Now out of the tent to run towards God and chase after him.

Okay, Now, the next thing that we observe your dead was interesting.

What's there? We see that not only Abraham went to them, Abraham

also served them. Okay, he offered water and bread to them to rest

under the tree. He didn't invite them to the tenanor he say, wherever

you are, let me bring you water to wash your feet and a morsel

of bread to serve you. Now, it's kind of interesting when you run

towards good. Now, what's your heart's desire? More than anything else?

You want to serve God. It's kind of funny. I thought, we're

just tired, we don't want to rest, but yet we come to a

praise in bring we want to serve him. But this is exactly what Abraham

doing when he's all tired in he the heat of the sun. The first

impulse that he gets is I want to serve you. I want to make

sure you're okay. I want to make sure that you are refreshing on It's

not Hey, is my son gonna come in? Isn't it? He could

have after it? When's my son coming nine nine years old? How delay

trying to remind you? You know your appointment God? But no, the

first thing is that God, how can I serve you? Why? Because

Abraham is no longer chasing the calling anymore. Remember he was always chasing their

calling, isn't it? But he understood one thing. I am called to

chase after the presence of God, not that calling. Whether I get,

whether I'm all, whether it's another person getting, doesn't matter. God will

do his will. God's will will come to fruition in my generation and more

than deneration. But now God, you are here. What is the greatest

desire of your heart? They will bring your rest to serve him. All

of us serve something people, all of us. You don't realize that you

actually enjoy serving one and all. Okay, you don't mind. They don't

like to serve people you don't like, But you enjoy serving people and things

that you like. Ah. That's the difference, isn't it. You don't

like serving things you don't like, of course you don't like. You don't

like serving people you don't like, of course, But do you like to

serve the things that you love? Your favorite football club I will serve.

Or ask me to be a Manchester football or water board I will go.

Man you know the things that you're passionate about, you will serve because you

know it's in line with what you are. You can't mean right, So

don't mistake We are all called to serve one. We all serve something.

We want something that is greater than us. Why not? And you're in

line with you believe in. You all want to serve something. You will

leave one. Make no mistake. Everyone is called to serve. Even if

you do not serve God, you serve money. By both say that you

cannot serve two masters. We're all called to serve. You, don't mistake

it. All of us are serving something. Even if you retire, you

are still serving something. You serve yourself, true or not. You think

about, Hey when am I going to go for a holiday. Hey when

I get to spend with my young young young grandchildren? Hey when did I

get to grow my money? We all serve something. It's whether you enjoy

it or not. One or something. And Abraham at this age his desire

and while to God he's delight. Some people will say, oh, it's

like Abraham fishing like that. Some people loved gold fishing. So can fish

for eight twelve or fourteen sixteen hours? They go on and then their wife

say, when is my husband's do alive or not they love. My brother

is one of those people, you know, he loved he has Parkinson not

but he will go and then he will fish first until he came back there.

This one time my brother came back his whole body. He forgot to

put some block and he was oh, body was burned until his feet was

burned or so bad. Yeah, or some people who are laughing, you

know, like uncles and friends will do that. They know it's like,

really, the would do this serve something? Okay? So my question is,

you know, who are we serving and what are we serving? What

will really really offer to God? You know? You see the thing is

Abraham although he promised water and bread, right, he did way much more.

You know. He asked his wife to work, and he asked the

young you know, he asked her to make cake because you can make break

because you need bread to rise. Cake is the fastest, okay, but

still it's a lot of work, you know, asking to get a young

goal to prepare it and making butter and yogot How many of you have tried

making butter and yogurt on the spot before? How many if you have tried

churning butter before? You know, you know, how hard it is to

churn butter. It's hard. It's a lot of work. One on my

daughter Da. They had there trying to have a school experiment, trying to

change butter. Daddy, it never churned. Yeah, I know it churning

butter. It's a lot of labor one and no, it takes a whole

day. So I imagine they come out with yogurt and butter on the spot.

Means they are working like frantically mad, you know. Yeah, it's

it's to tell you how much they work, how much they were really chasing

to do, to do to make an effort to make time work to serve

them. Okay, now what is this you know that that that that we

learned? Okay, I mentioned that we deep down we all desire to serve

God. Okay, we want to serve God because we recognize that ultimately,

no one is as good as God. Trono, no one is as good

as God's serving because no one, no one can compare to God. God

is going. We're singing the song the goodness of God. I want to

serve your God doesn't matter this life, my retired life, when I'm all,

when I'm toothless, when I have kid or no kids, when I

have a retirement fund or no. God, I want to serve you because

there is no one as good as you. No one will never leave me,

No one will ever no, No, God, you will never leave

me. God, you will never forsake me when I'm rich, when I'm

poor, you will always be there with me. Okay. And so you

know the same thing that I want to stretch up for us instead, you

know, when you serve God, and some of you not just say that,

some of you might feel like hey, in this time of season when

I'm like, you know, comfortable, I have plans. Right. First

of all, I won't say, hey, go and serve. If I

were to tell someone or give counsel to someone, I will firstly say,

do you open your eyes and see where God is? And when you do

see God, okay, what do you desire? Would you come up from

your tenth First? First all you've got to come out by faith, you

know. And when you do arrive, what would you do? What would

you ask? What would you desire? And God asks you to serve,

invites you, not ask you, invites you to sir, and you see

a clear need? Do you see do you feel like a tongue. Do

you feel like a conflict, I hope not, because, like Moses says,

if your presence do not go with us, we do not want to

be there God. Even if there's a new business opportunity, I don't want

to go. I read a serf. I read a serf in the house

of the Lord, because that's where your presence is. Even if I don't

get my son or promise, I read a serve right now, serve you

butter and yogurt. Then to have a children health, not many or thousands,

or father or many generations. I read it being right now, because

that is where your presence is. Amen. Now, okay, there's what

I'm sure I'm sharing here. Now to the second part that I'm going to

share, okay, or before I go there, And you notice that when

Abrams serve them right, he did not eat with them all, if you

read the scripture, he did not eat with them. He stood by as

they eight. So he did not consider himself to be any anyone high enough.

He was always serving, He had a servant. He presented himself not

as somewhat entitled when you come before God, when you're approaching God. Okay,

in his goodness and his mercy. You stand by there as a servant.

Oh, that's a call to be not just no, we all you

know, we all get caught up. Hey want to be sons and daughters.

But don't mistake it. But we can't before the Lord. Our duty,

our role, and our desire is well to serve him. Okay,

to serve him. Okay, don't get so caught up in where's my food?

Okay? Now In verse nine, he says here, okay, now

taking a shift of taking a turn here now, So Abraham got out of

the tenth reading right now. Now there's another person who needs to get out

of the tenth okay. Verse nine, Then they said to him, where

is Sarah your wife? So Abraham said, here in the tenth. They

were not in the tent, but they were nearby the tent. Okay.

And he said, I mean the Lord. I will certainly return to you

according to the time of life, and behore, Sarah your wife shall have

a son. Now you need to remember that when God, God has promised

Abraham at least three times that he will have a son. Okay. The

first time he did not say by who, He just said, you have

a son. So after they got eachmail, God said that you will have

a son. Walk before me and be blamed as you will have a son.

Then they said, all said, have eachmail. No. Then God

said, no, your wife Sarah will have a son. God made it

clear. What it's important is that this is a very important thing because when

you're observed, God looks and recognizes the father and the mother and the husband

as one union. It's very very important. When you are the husband,

you are the man of the house, you are the leader. No,

that and there is a very important implication, and that means that that whoever

is under you is also recipient and under the command of the leader one.

And it's like a company, you know, yeh mean right, it's like

a company. So God recognized that legally one. So, but Hagar was

not under there. No, Hagar was under a different arrangement. Hagar was

not the spouse. Hagar was the maid. When God gave it to Abraham,

he was giving to him and her as one, because two flesh would

combined and come together as one. They were one. But the first leader,

the leader was what was Abraham? Okay, So when you gave it

to him, it was both of them but Abraham failed to regnize that because

of fear and out of lack of faith. Okay, although the wife proposed

this idea, what she was really looking for Abraham was not agreement. And

that's how times are you think? And now other men confused that at times

what women want are of the husband. It's just agreement. No, what

we really want. What they really want out for man is godliness and strength

and courage. Do you know what is right? And you stand by and

do the right thing? You come in right? And men always want for

women respect true, don't respect me. I'm not gonna talk to you for

one ten days? And what they want of them raised man? But then

womenst in it. Are you always doing the right thing? Then? Do

you have the courage then to do the right thing? Then, but you're

not doing your part. You must be strong, you kind of know what

it's right. So Abraham, though he agreed, then the wife flashback,

and he may not. No, I can't remember what she said ready,

that something like the blood will be upon me will be upon you as well,

So why what would they're doing? I just agree? No, although

I told you this, you felt your duty to become a leader to tell

me what is the right thing and to be strong. You get me in

right. So Abraham was was culpable as this as a leader. You get

me in right. It was very very important principle. It's a god trying

to tell us how how kingdom principle works for a family. That's why for

a family, the man is very important. You get me in right.

You cannot neglect your duty to receive the word of God and to impart the

word of God to your family, to your spouse, and to your children,

to teach them the same way as well. But man has forgotten that.

Man has become too busy with their work, with their career, with

their games. It is true. That's why I when he was eating up

and don't cannot be found. Maybe he was in a plain dutas somewhere en

You get what I mean, right. So Eve was there, but Adam

felt his duty because he let out his side. She was alone. And

if this thing is happening again in our generation, women are alone on their

own although they are falling, but we are the man. Man has fallen

as well the same way. Where's your word? Where's your strength? Where

is your courage to stemple? What is right and wrong. That is very

very very important. Okay, everybody's so far, there's nothing, no,

nothing. The efeminis on sex, but it is just according to the word

of God. Everyone has a role. Okay, Eve was created the same

statue as but different roles. Okay, we're talking about roles. Okay,

we're not talking about one's better or not. He's roles. Okay, now

that's me. Let me move on here. Okay, Now so Sarah Okay,

Now Sarah is being mentioned here. Okay. Verse ten, he says

that God said, I will certainly return to you in the time and behold

yours, Sarah, your wife will have a son. Okay. Now Sarah

was listening in the tenth door, which was behind him. Now, Abraham

and Sarah were all and well advanced in age, and Sarah had passed the

age of childhood bearing verse twelve. Therefore, Sarah laughed laugh within herself,

saying, after after I've grown, ah, shall I have pleasure? My

Lord? Being all? Also, okay, what does it means? I

have pleasure? Means that the pleasure means shall I enjoy? Youth gained the

word pleasure here Gay in Hebrew reads talking about the youth of a young lady.

You just you just reach a chief puberty and then the youthfulness, the

fertility, the beauty, all the stuff. I enjoy pleasure as well,

now that I'm so old. So she was laughing, laughing beas disbelief.

Remember before, Sarah laugh who laughs? In the previous chapter, Abraham laugh.

Abraham laughed. When God say that you know you will have a son,

everyone laughs, say that choose each Mail is that I cannot bear any

more child? Choose? Sila said, no, you shall have a son.

And you know what their son's name was, Isaac. Isaac means what

the one who laughs? So Abraham laughed out of disbelief. Sarah laugh out

of disbelief. But when they got their child, they're laughing disbelief. They

laugh because God is good. They shame everyone. So the Isaac's name become

a testimony for both testimony and in remindered. For both Abraham and Sarah,

who started in disbelief, God turned their disbelief into belief and to faith.

Amazing, isn't it? Remember God remembers every laughing all we have you know,

laughed a disbelief. Oh God, sure, nah, this fellow say

these things? Oh no, no, But God remembers, okay. Now

in verse uh thirteen, Okay, verse thirteen, he says, and the

Lord said to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh, saying sure, I actually

bear a child since I am. Oh, then God's then, then the

Lord said, is anything too hard for the Lord at the point in time,

I will return to you according to the time of life, and Sarah

shall have a son. Wow. Now, hearing this, Sarah become panic,

you know. But Sarah denied it, saying I did not laugh,

for she was afraid. And then God said, no, but you did

laugh a scary enough now you know. See you know the Lord, you

see my Okay, let's let's talk about I'm trying to order this property.

Okay. Now it's very clear that Sarah was listening. Okay, and God,

what's done? Ministering to Abraham. God ministered to Abraham in the previous

in the previous in the previous chapter, and the ministry was complete because he

saw Abraham running out and served m chasing after his presence. But I told

you, when God looks at the family, he wants to bring the promise

office you know, of a generation through them, but one not just to

Abraham, but he recognized Abraham and Sarah as a union. Abraham was prepared,

but another person was not prepared yet, and that was Sarah. One

person was out of the tent, but Sarah was still inside the tenth.

She was still listening from the inside to the out. See how in the

spiritual context that you cannot listening listener from the place of doubt to the calling

for the spiritual and get me right. You cannot listen from the place of

doubt for a calling this for the spiritual. God calls you for something,

but you're still in the tent with not surrounded by this limitations. Not ten

is smaller, tent is temporary. One now, but when you're listening there,

you cannot give birth to wait one now. Her womb was not closed

inside attend not because you know she's older. Her moon was close because she

believe. That's why God said, is anything too hard for the Lord?

Is God inside a tent? For us to understand who God really is?

You need to get out of the tenth, true, not, you need

to get out of the ten. God prepared Abraha. Now is time to

minister to Sarah. But the way God minister to Sarah was quite unique.

He had to like, hey, you know, I'm going to tell you

the promise again. I want to see Sarah, who is behind her?

How is she's going to respond? And how did she responded the same way

that we all did we loved. But yet one thing God did was what

God said? Why did Sarah laugh? You see it when we're starting the

tent? And how that's God minister to us. God ministers to us by

revie our thoughts. My revealing things are that you Then you keep you,

You keep thinking that your thoughts and your ways are right. You know,

impossibilities. Now, this is the way I think God will work. This

is how my husband is lie my wife. My wife is like in a

certain things your own ways, you thought your so self justified and self righteous

in your own ways, in your own tent, you cannot see it throughout.

But then God comes in and reveals your heart. Why did you say

that? Why Why did you then go say, why did you disbelieve?

No, don't say, don't talk about all the circumstance. Why did you

disbelieve? Why did you say that in your own in your own life?

Right now? God was it? Why did you disbelieve why Sarah go nothing

to say the only thing she could say that I did not say that.

She did not say oh because I'm all, not because in all my husband

is all not because we have ishmail. She just right other did not.

I didn't say that, But God said, no, you did. So

what was God trying to lead Sarah to do? As I closest part?

What was the ministry that God was trying to get loose for Sarah to get

her to confess? Confession the word means to say the same thing. You

know what? I then, confession means to say the same thing, to

say the same thing as what, to say the same thing as your circumstances,

what the circumstances it circumstances, say you agree with it. To say

the same thing. To confess means to say the same thing as God says.

When God's work is not just her, it becomes something that you speak

and you leave about. God says I'm wrong, I'm wrong. God says

I am God. God. God says I'm cleansed, I am cleans You

start to verbalize you you agree with it. Lord, what you say about

me is true. I believed you came in right So that's what Sarah needed

to get too, to get out from the tent. And when she she

resisted it, and I was wow, God, you see it? No,

no, you did, And there was waiting ended, and I believe

that Sarah believed. Now final final moment that finally took her out from the

tent. She confessed, and God finally prepared them, prepared the wound,

prepared the spiritual wound for them, for both Abraham and Sarah to be ready

to have eyes. Amen. Now my question is you guys, what is

God challenging for you all? Sometimes you are still starting your own ways?

Isn't it until God reveals? Why didn't you believe God? Is anything too

to have? For God to accomplish anything too impossible? Does God lack any

goodness or credibility in your life? Has He not done it? Now?

Are you stuck? And you know, but I see this guy, this

situation, this problem right before me. Cannot God solve anything? Maybe today

we can, you know, prepare ourselves, you know, as we go

through the scripture, to prepare our hearts to become like Sarah and Abraham finally

coming out of the tenth to believe, run and to serve, and some

of you, like you know, maybe when you're serving and you're doing ministry,

you're doing your job, you're doing your parenting, you're raising money all

out of your own strength, and you are tired. You face don't say

it, but your heart is tired. I can tell it. You're tired.

How many of you are tired? You are tired? Tired? You're

here the same old thing, tire appearing Pastor Men and Pastor Steven and not

talking the same thing again. Tired, Actually hope it all tired, O

doing on our own strength so much flesh? Tire? How do I do

this? Chase not your calling, but chase God's presence. We hope you've

been blessed by this message. For more information on our church, please visit

as church dot org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're

believing that this week is going to be a good week, a hit for

you. God bless