The Story of Abraham (Part 2) | Pr Matthew Chang

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

will light up your day today. I'm going to be reading from a Genesis

chapter fourteen, and I'll be covering fifteen as well, but because the passage

is a bit long, I will be summarizing a bit. But to give

you guys a bit of context. Okay, how many of you have gone

through the study of Abraham before? Hands up quickly? Anyone? Anyone?

Anyone at least like intentionally going through the study of Abraham. Okay, cool.

I want to let you know that the kids and all the kids like

okay, the students are the young people here. I'm looking at you,

guys. Are you guys are going to enjoy this man. It's going to

be very fun. Okay. The way, if you look at the life

of Abraham right you will think that this guy who's like thousands of year ago,

how can this guy have much relevance to me and my life daily life.

Right now, I will let you know that Abraham's life has great relevance

and great importance, and you can actually learn a lot from the life of

Abraham so that you can make better decisions for your life, for your family

for the next stage of my life. It's very powerful, and you will

have a better understanding of how God speaks of how God works in your life.

Okay, how many people like that? How many people would like to

have to hear God clearer to know? Like, Hey, no, guess

and maybe this is the word of God, and maybe another person tell you

this, another person tell you this. Then you're also confused, ready,

which one is you? Then you can't make decisions because you're stuck and you're

full of fear and you're not sure. So that is never the position that

God wants us to be. But God has provided all these guidance and his

word in the Bible so that we may know His good and perfect will.

Amen. So now when we look at Abraham, if you just a very

quick recap. In Genesis chapter thirteen, Abraham was called from his father's house.

Okay, Abraham was not a poor dude. He's quite well to do.

He said to inherit a lot of things. Has a beautiful wife,

a wife so beautiful at sixty five years old that the whole entire nation was

willing to give entire flocks of animals sheeps and donkeys are just to have her.

Okay, it was. She was so beautiful that when eventually when Abraham

went into Egypt, he came out reach her. He's so beautiful. Not

she's so beautiful that even in Egyptian literature, Egyptian literature, they literually wrote

about her as well, she's so beautiful that made all the women look so

much lesser. Act that was a harsher, I shall not say it.

Okay. So she was so legendary beautiful, but they don't have children.

Okay. So Abraham was called by God from the north there, okay,

from the from the land of hard from God to come down south. Okay.

God did not give him a Google Map location, did not give him

a waste location. Oh, this is exactly the hotel or the airbnb where

you can stay on God, just say you move, okay, you travel

when you stop, when I tell you to stop, you stop. This

is not just a holiday trip, you know, this is moving your entire

family. Now. He his wife, and his nephew and servants together all

down south. Okay. And when they reached the land of Canaan, he

couldn't settle in the house. He stayed in a tent and for the rest

of his life, he stayed in a tent. You think about it,

Okay. If God promised you to make you a father of many nations for

the rest of your life, you stay in a tent. Are you happy

with that? Okay? You go buy a house. Okay, you put

a big down payment, ninety percent down payment. Okay, nah place you

stay in this house? You have a big family. I tell you,

even after three years the building not completed. We buy a property here after

three and not can bet? We bang already? You know, so the

contractor already know Abraham for the rest of his life. He couldn't see that

from his propit. But he did have one son there. But God promised

him a nation, you know. But he believed God to the very and

even beyond death. He believed God. How many of you will believe that

by a house you haven't seen completed in three years? Will you still believe

in her? You'll be like, But that's how radical? How crazy?

You know? Abraham's faith was it a God chose him for this radical faith?

You know? Okay? He lived in a tenth for the rest of

his life. You know ten means what ten means? Are you are an

alien? You know? It's like if equals century here, everybody got houses,

got condo. But in the middle of the part, you pitch a

ten there, And he said, wait when you pitch a ten here?

Oh God called me to stay here? Oh why because he say He's going

to make me a nation. He'll be looking at that. Guy's like,

what in the world you get me? Right? It's so weird. It's

literally and if you live in the ten means you an alien. You don't

belong here, You're just temporary. But for the rest of his life he

lived like that, and he was okay because God called him to be there.

Okay. Then he went to Egypt because there was a famine. Then

I asked a very important question, did he did the right thing? Because

just because in your life you face a famine, are you supposed to go

to Egypt where the land is beautiful, the riven now is beautiful. Egypt

was like New York or Japan, you know, or like China beautiful,

advanced flourishing. You know, just because there is a famine, you go

to this place. And then of course the crowd was divided, you know,

like, yeah, he did the right thing, he was responsible husband.

But then when you look into the scripture and you study one by one

and you unfore all the things that happened when he went into Egypt. You

realize it's a all the not so nice things. First of all, God,

they're not asking to go. Hey, God, they're not ask him

to go. You came to the land of Canaan because God told you to,

and God spoke to you and appeared to you when you arrived there.

After that, because you saw a famine, you left. But you left

Canaan not out of faith. You left Canaan out of fear. Why would

you do that. It's like you started your journey on petrola, then after

that you started your journey on diesel. You know, it doesn't make sense.

You use the wrong basis, is the wrong source to go to another

place. So he went to Egypt. The moment he went there, he

started telling his wife, Hey, you're so beautiful. Hey, but because

you are beautiful, they will kill me. Because at that time, if

people see that you have a beautiful wife, they will kill the husband and

take the take the wife. They don't care what. So a compliment becomes

a burden. And so because you must lie and say that you are my

sister Ah. See the first thing you ready, if Egypt was so good

for you, then why did you abandon your husband husband responsibility? It's God

want to put you in the place that will make you do evil, So

don't blame God. So the first thing that happened already, isn't it the

first thing? Then second thing? We know? Who clean up the mess?

God clean up the mess? What was it even a mess? God

appeared into it before Pharaoh and said that you are going to die because this

woman that you're taken belongs to another man. God clean up the mess.

But appearing into another man's dreaming. Now, if this is really God's plan,

why go ahead to clean up your mess? True or not this is

really God's plan for you, Why he doesn't here to come and clean up

your mess? You are me right? So God didn't appear to Abraham.

God appeared that date so that Abraham will know I'm here to clean up your

mess. This case clear appear to clean up his mess. Then when they

left, of course they left or they left rich as well because because of

Sarah, because Pharaoh gave Abraham so called the brother, lots of money,

sealed world goal animals, So they're left rich. And even the nephew that

followed him was rich as well, a lot was very rich. Ah.

Then after that they said, oh, I see, going to Israel is

not going to Egypt. It's not a bad thing. I got rich also,

okay, escaped, but we got rich. But because of his richness,

Okay, when he came back to the place that he got calling to

be back to square one, he became so much money that he started to

have a feud with his nephew because the land was so small. It's like

you're trying to bring a lot of money, a lot of wealth. You

go shopping, buying a lot of things on Lazada and shoppier by your house

so small, and you put here, put here, new washing machine,

new TV. Cannot you also put us off? Ah, your house got

three bedroom, but I cannot earn myself six bedroom, and you make every

room smaller. She came me right. You take so called the blessings of

the world and you try to put it into your own life when God has

not expanded it yet, you squeeze everything out, and the blessing became a

curse. And it became a curse for him. What he got out became

a curse to him because now he has too separate from lot happening in our

lives, isn't it. We think that a lot of money and everything is

so good, isn't it? But it cost you your relationships, your families,

true or not. And you try to have a lifestyle that you couldn't

sustain or it's not even really needed as well, and you'll cost you your

relationship, your blessings, your peace as well. And then hiss, and

then not only that, when they when they say that, when Abraham told

Lot, okay, let's not fight. Okay, you look at the land.

If you go to the right, I will go to the left.

If you go to the left, I'll go to the right. I'd let

you choose first. Hey, if you really mean this is extreme trailer,

okay, very short trailer. So Abraham was very nice to his nephew.

I'd let you choose first. But when Lord chose, when he looked and

surveyed, you know, he looked at the land to the east there,

what did he see? A beautiful land, like a garden. He says

that like a garden of the Lord, or like the garden of Eden,

and all oh I see that. You see at that Atlanta there were two

cities called Sodom and Gomorrah. You know, but it was so beautiful that

he didn't border whether there's a Soldom and Gomorrah. Yeah, me right,

because is it because it's so beautiful because he sees the garden of Eden.

No, because if you read that verse, you will say that like the

land of Egypt or Zorah. When he looked at that like, he liked

it, not because it was like the garden of Eden, but because it

reminded him of Egypt. And so when Abraham made the mistake of going to

Egypt, he didn't realize he would bring a stain to his family. You

realize that your past will catch up one and all. But God says,

your past catches up to you and to your family, and it affected his

nephew, you know. So his nephew made a boy. Is not because

of God. He made a choice because he's sow Egypt and he long after

Egypt. Even though there is a Swdom and Gomorrah. So where you make

a choice to choose something in life, you will say, this is God's

will for my life. Even there's a Sordom and Gomro you will say,

this is God's will form my life, and nobody can say anything against you.

But you are not choosing because this is not good. Wis you deceive

yourself. You lack courage to confront yourself, but you will deceive yourself because

you long after Egypt, and that place reminded you of Egypt, and you

want it no matter what. And because and this all happened because Abraham went

down to Egypt. You know, saying what I'm saying here, This obedience

can cost so much heartache and pain. That's what there was Episode one.

Everybody, Okay, so ah, so should we call it for the dail?

Ready? Ha ha ha ha? Who? All right, today we're

going part Now we're entering part two. Okay, So Part two even more

game, even more things happen, got war some more, you know,

got baking some more, got war and baking some more. Today it's a

feast, okay. Anyway, so this is where we left off, and

we're gonna do a bit of scripture reading, he said, scripture reading.

Oh no, there will be slights. Okay. So we take up from

Genesis chapter fourteen and it begins, okay with a war. Okay, you

want to go through the scripture, at least for the first quite a lot,

but I will summarize it for you. So there's a war and we

call it the War of the Nine Kings. War sounds like Lord of the

Rings, you know. You know sometimes you read at the Battle of the

Five Kings, and this is War of the nine Kings. Okay. So

there are two alliances happening at this time there. Okay, don't know too

much, but I'm summarizing for you. So on one side it's called the

Kings of the Plane, okay. And then the Kings of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia

is where Abraham's father came from. Okay, saw the mesopot Mesopotamian alliance right

ruled over the five Kings. So the five, not very happy, decided

to gether together to fight them back, okay. And so the five Kings

lost gain the five Kings lost, and a lot of men died, you

know. And you know the way the ward works to stay. If you

lost, the victor comes to steal, can take and look and plunder your

animals, your belongings, and even take away your family. You know,

all your servants has slaves as well. So when that was happening. Lot,

Abraham's nephew, was caught in it, his entire family because they moved

to the east side, right with Sodom and Gomora. They all okay,

Sodom was part of the part of the alliance that lost as well. They

because Lord was staying there. He also got captured. Okay, he also

got captured. Siah, you make a choice and to follow after Egypt,

you get captured also, okay. So he got captured, and the news

got back to Abraham. News got back to Abraham, and Abraham immediately decides

to rally his household. Not a country, you know, not a nation,

not a city. You know. He is just one guy, one

family, living in a tent. But God's favor was on him so much

that he was able to master his whole entire servants together with some of the

neighborhood people in Canaan's to about three hundred and eighteen people. The three hundreds

okay, you see that. You think about it, five uh cities are

cannot defeat these four Abraham, one household and three hundred plus men. They

come together to save Lot, okay, to to rescue him back when they're

at night, divided forces attacked, and they warned all Abraham was able to

achieve what five cities couldn't do because of God's favor. Quite impressive, isn't

it for a guy living in a tentin or a guy living in a tent

and all these people have cities and all not just how the cities and on,

but it was quite amazing. So what happened after that was that his

name became very popular known because he did what a lot of people couldn't do.

And so at that time, a very interesting thing happened to Abraham.

Okay, after the war, it became popular. Everybody started coming to him.

Okay, And the first part I'm going to ask is how did Abraham

respond? And how Abraham respond when we studied right, will give a lot

of guidance to us on how we should make decisions on how we should place

our faith in God as well. Okay, So let's go to the next

light. So immediately after that war, we see this passage, right that

was very interesting. Out of the war. It starts to talk about Abraham

and this guy calmed. He why did the Bible suddenly jump into this episode

so random? You know? Why is that they called this mal kiss a

dead Okay, you look at it. And then he says that this male

kiss Adad king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. Not only met

this random king and this king come out and meet him with bread and wine.

Okay. And it says here the clue. It says that he was

the priest of God knows wine. He's a priest, he's a king,

and he serves the God most High. And the first thing when he does,

when he comes to me, Abraham, he says that he blessed Abraham.

Okay, blessed be Abram of God most High, possessor of heaven and

earth. And blessed be God most High, who has delivered your enemies into

your hand. So when the king and the priest, the same person comes

out, when he bless Abraham, okay, he knows who Abraham is,

and he knows who actually won the battle for Abraham. He says to Abraham,

it is not you, but in fact, it is your God,

the God most High, who actually has delivered what everyone and your neighbors had

heard about, all sorts of fable and legend and all they can think about.

They can say all they want, but the truth is it is God

who delivered you. And then Abraham responded by what by giving this king and

the priest a tithe And some people who don't believe in tyitana, you say

that type is only for the temple. Was the temple buill at the time?

No, but the type already existed. Why he gave the time It

is because he recognized that king as the priest. Now a lot of people

will ask, who is this king? Milki is a dead? Who is

this king? Milk is a dead? Actually this guy didn't appear. The

only ones in a here know. He actually appeared in the New Testament and

later part of the Old Testament as well. Maybe he can go to the

next slide that I have do I have? Ah? Twice he was mentioned

in Old Testament and his name means my king is righteousness. Okay, my

king is righteousness. And he came. He was governing the city called Salem

okay which means shalom. And eventually that place became Jerusalem as well. Quite

prophetic. Abraham's timer is already prophesying the coming of Jerusalem, you know,

priest of the God most High. He offered bread and wine, blest Abraham

type. And if you reckon Psalms one and ten, it will say,

the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest

forever. This is talking about the Lord's anointed. Basically, it is Jesus.

Okay, the Psalmist was prophesying about Jesus. Okay, you are saying

that Jesus, the Lord's anointed, you are a priest forever or according to

the order of malch his dead. So technically, the first priest in the

whole entire Bible, in the whole entire Bible, was not Erron. What's

who? What's this deal? When g Jesus is reference as a priest forever,

he was not reference in the order of Aaron, in the order of

this guy powerful. This is the first priest. Okay. And even in

Hebrews chapter five he says that so also Christ did not glorify himself so as

to become a high priest. But he who said to him the Father said

to the son, you are my son. Today I had begotten you.

Just as he says also in another passage, you are a priest or whatever,

according to the order of male Kisa dead. Okay, in a way,

you can say that, because that my personal opinion. I'm not saying

that disease. You know, confirm, I personally believe that Malchisadad is Jesus

himself. That's my personal view. Okay, it's my personal view. Okay,

I'm not saying that my personal view. Okay, because of the function

and the role that he performs as well, Jesus is our priest, our

high priests, the ultimate priest, because all other priests his film. You

know what I'm saying. What I'm saying, this is a very important thing.

Okay. Now, so we see Melchisi coming out to meet Jesus.

But King Malki said that is not the only guy to come and meet meet

Jesus. For that Abraham. Okay, So Abraham and won the world.

King Melchisid that comes to meet him. Abraham responds to him very favorably.

I will take your wine, I will take your breath, and I will

even give a tithe. I will even accept your anointing and your blessing as

well. At the same time, there is another deal as well. His

name is called King Bearra. Now King Bearra comes from I think, if

I'm not mistaken, a king of Sodom. Okay, he was a king

of Sodom. Now let's read a bit of scripture here. Well, we'll

read from verse now, King Bearra what did he do? He came out

also to reach a riemond with Abraham, because he recognized Abraham's greatness as well.

Okay, but what did but what was his proposal? What? Let's

okay, I'll tell you what. Let's just read the scripture easier. Let

me turn to Genesis fourteen Apologizer, so that I want to make sure that

you guys really don't get confused by what I'm teaching. Now verse twenty one.

Okay, Genesis verse twenty one, fourteen, verse twenty one. Okay,

if you're there. Genesis fourteen, verse twenty one. Now, the

king of Sodom said to Abraham, give me the person, and take the

goods for yourself. Okay, you have won a battery. Give me the

person, but take the goods for yourself. But Abraham said to the King

of Sodom, I have raised my hand to the Lord God Most High,

the possessor of heaven and Earth, that I will take nothing from a threat

to ascendal strap. And then I will not take anything that is yours unless

you should say I have made Abraham rich, except only what the young men

have eaten, and the portion of men who went with me. Okay,

Anna escort and memory, let them take their portion. These people that he

mentioned and Esco, these other people who were the Canaan knights that joined him

together with the three hundred people to fight with him, his people are okay.

So what happened here? What Abraham said to Bearra, the king of

Sordom, was this, I already sorry. I cannot strike an agreement with

you. I cannot be your alliance. I cannot be counting with you,

you know, your best friend, because my hand already got wedding ring.

My wedding ring is to King milkis dead, you get, I mean right,

I'm already devoted to King Milks the dead. Ready. The exchanging of

wine and bread and annoying thing is like a ceremony, you know. You

know saying what I'm saying there. It's it's basically pronouncing that I accept your

anointing and I come after you. That's why he gives tithes as well.

It's an exchanging as well. It's a contract. Already I cannot, I

cannot worship you. I can I cannot. I cannot make an alliance with

you because I go with him, because it is the same God that I

serve. And when I go with King milkisaday, I am also acknowledging it

is not my own strength, but it is God who delivered me. But

if I join you and I do what you do, everyone will know that

it is you and your alliance that has made me strong. And I cannot

do that. Okay, very bold, very powerful, very courageous of Abraham,

isn't it? He did the right thing? Huh? Very good?

But because why did he do that? Because he believed he rather come under

submission, he rather give a tither. Think about it. You beat Abraham

with just leaving, and I think was able to beat the armies. He

should be receiving a tithing, isn't it. He should be receiving glory you

know, from men in No, from other other so called alliances. But

he chose to to worship instead of recognition. He chose worship. He chose

to worship God. Okay, it's very powerful. He chose to worship God

instead of receiving money. He chose to give money. In our lives when

we experience goodness breakthroughs in our lives. It's very easier to say, my

hands did it. I was smart in investing my business because I work hard.

My children are like this because I'm a good parent. Nothing would have

happened without God. Nothing. Your children are as smart go to university,

not because of you, because of so. In all these things, you

must understand what we must learn to worship. Worship is the evidence that we

acknowledge God over our lives. Makes sense, makes sense or not? It

is when you are blessed beyond all measure and you do not show up to

worship the Lord, or you leave a lifestyle of worship the Lord. You

don't have to tell me. I know who who you feel and think that

make you successful. It is you yourself, not God. Makes sense.

That is what Abraham is teaching us. And know it's very very important,

Okay, very very important. Okay. He is basically saying that God is

not the world. The world is not my rewarder. You are my great

rewarder. I don't need my reward right now. Sometimes you work very hard.

I deserve this holiday. I deserve that and recognition. You know what

I'm talking about. You don't know how you feel like you deserve a holiday

right now? You see, I'm not. I feel like sometimes I deserve

a holiday. You guys are more holy and more righteous than me. Man,

the only holiday is it? Okay? Come, let's let's schedule and

roster everyone. Man. Sometimes we feel like we we we need, we

deserve it. But no, we don't deserve anything. We like God deserves

everything because we know whose hand is it that saved us. It is God.

I don't deserve anything. It's God. I choose to worship God.

You are my great reward, You are my great shield. Wow? Can

finish someone? Ready? Is this the end? Did Abraham live life happily?

Ever? After? I tell you the next passage that starts with that

Abraham falling into depression. You don't believe me, And then you say you

watch Genesis chapter fifteen. After these things, the word of the Lord came

to Abraham in a vision, saying, do not be afraid, Abraham,

I am your shoes and your acceedly great reward. Why would God say that

to him if he's not afraid? You just did You just defeated enemies,

okay, and you ally yourself with this king, and you just say no

to one of the most powerful kings. And now you are depressed, afraid

so much, sure that God has to come and counsel you. And you

know, minister to you such a big turn around and on, But why

what did he happen to him? So there is a clue? Okay?

In verse two, he says, but Abraham said, Lord, God,

what would you give me? Seeing I God childless and the hair of my

house is iliaser of the mascots. Then Abraham said, like a victim,

we have this mentality. Look, you have given me no offspring. Indeed,

one bond in my house, okay, in need one in my is

my head. Means that the one who's gonna inherit all my thing. It's

not gonna be my son. It's gonna be someone else's son, because they

work. Only he's don't blaming blaming God. Now you call me out of

here. Don't have a house. I live in the tent. Okay,

and the one, not only the ten. Not only that, I don't

have a house. I don't even have a city or a nation. All

I have is gonna go to someone who doesn't even come from my house.

You know, it gets me right? I have nothing, have nothing,

and he realizes also, okay, sometimes that we do things out of faivor.

The first day very good, Yeah, I worship God. I say

no to the world. The next day it hits you know, it's like,

what did I just do? You know what I mean? Right?

One day full of faith, Sunday full of faith, Monday full of fear.

Ready, I responded, Ready. By then the Monday comes up?

Did I just say no to all the kings? Everyone will know right now,

including the Nine Kings, are I defeated? And those who try to

partner with me? I said no to them? Now I am a guy

living in a tent surrounded by enemies. Sometimes when you wake up in the

morning, you just realize I am surround and it hits your heart. Sometimes

you wake up and you realize that I have not much money in my bank

account, and then you wake up, Oh, I am alone, I

am a stranger. I don't have this. I don't have that. You

are surrounded and even the little that I have is going to be taken away

from me as well. Well, you all look more depressed than me right

now. You understand what I'm saying here. Sometimes reality hits you like that

isn't it. We all go up and down? How many if you know

what I'm talking about, you feel that way before. It's like, well

I have a victorious Sunday. Yeah, that's worship. You know, great,

someone came and prayed for Really the next day you felt in the depression.

Reality hits you. He hits you. But let's see how God responds.

And then in verse four, and behold the world of the Lord came

to him saying this one shall not be a hair. So God, come

from to him. You will have children. And you will not have children,

not any other way, and not from another not from your servant,

not from your slaves, not from another family. It will be directly.

If I had not made it clear to you biologically, I want to make

it clear to you right now biologically it's going to come from you. Makes

it clear, you know, I say, God, you know when you

told me, maybe your promises will come to me in a lot of other

ways, because it's not when I say it's true you, it's thru you,

no exceptions. Sometimes we try to qualify God. We tried to qualify

maybe God's promises. We stretch a bit, like make it a bit wider

that when you make it a bit wider. We can choose more things when

God when you like, when you keep to the world, it's like very

narrow and not God. I can't go and left, I can't go right.

But it's so hard. Then we try to stretch. Don't stretch.

Don't water down God's promises. Don't water down God's promise for your life.

Don't water down God's word. Take it as it is. Pray and meditate

until God is so faithful to confirm it in your life. Don't because you

are so impatient that you stretch and water down God's word and promises makes sense?

Do that makes sense? How many of you are seeking direction in your

life? Are you impatient? Are you tired? What have you done?

Have you stretched? What you're not supposed to stretch? You can come to

the Lord in your disappointment. No, God can handle your disappointment. And

no, even if you victimize yourself. Oh I'm so tarmed, I'm so

horrible, I'm so poor, I have nothing. God can handle it.

Get me right. God can handle you. You don't have to hire.

God can take it. Okay, don't God. I'm saying this one shall

not be your hair, but one coming from your own body. Okay,

shall be your hair. Then God does an amazing thing. Then he says

here in verse five. Then God brought Abraham outside from his tantino and said,

look now towards the heaven and count the stars. If you are able

to number every one of them. And he said to and God said to

him, so shall your descendants be as as much as you number the descendants.

Show this, so this will be yours as much as the start that

you see, this will be the number of your descendants. And Abraham believe

the Lord. Suddenly believe the Lord, and God accounted to him for righteousness.

This is one of the most important verses in the whole entire Bible.

In this moment, the nation of Israel was burned, was born forth.

Okay, God for him to come to somewhere. But Abraham had not earned

It's like you sign a contract, but the money has not been credited into

your account. It you give me a right, but the money hasn't coming

in. It doesn't set all. You're gonna see what I mean. But

it says here, accounter to him for righteousness. You know. So what

Abraham needs from God. It's not just a promise He needed God to credit

into his account the most important thing that will make God God fulfilled. It

was righteousness. God needed to credit by God needed to testing, so Abraham

believed. Now we see this part. Abraham at one point the first beginning

to chapter the depressed okay, hit hard, whiny Okay. Suddenly God CAUs

him to come out of the camp and look at the stars and counting stars.

God called him, do you believe? And Abraham said, I believe?

How did Abraham get from there to here? How did get Abraham get

from a place where his bank account was still zero? He come out out

of the camp and suddenly his bank account gor righteousness? How did he get

from here to here? How can you and I understand? Sometimes God's calling

for us is an invitation, But we need to start walking in a certain

way and a certain manner that we please him, We fulfill everything He's asked

of us, and we will be credited. Makes sense or not makes sense?

You need to walk in the ways of God so that it will please

him. Like how Abraham please God and God will credited righteous? How do

we walk into the How do we get that? Because it's so important,

isn't it? When we have righteous God sees us. This is where all

our blessing is. Okay. The key came to having that, to understanding

that is in Romans chapter four. Romans chapter four. Okay, look at

my the slightly Ah. Romans chapter four. Go the next light down,

next light normal, Stay, that's it. Okay, apologize if not,

you go to turning me to scripture. Romans chapter four. Ah. Yes,

what did Abraham believe? What did he actually believe? Okay? Romans

chapter four. We need to go from my left to my right? How

do I do that? What did Abraham do spiritually that please God? It's

saying here in verse sixteen in Romans chapter four, this is Paul talking about

Abraham. He says, therefore, it is of faith that it might be

according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all see it,

not only to those who are of the law, but also to those

who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of

us. Okay, as it is written, I have made you a father

of many nations. Okay. Now this is the key part in the presence

of him. When Abraham was in the presence of God that moment when God

called him out of the tent. Abraham what believed? What? What did

he believe? He believed God? But what is it about God that he

believed? God? I believe God exists, the isn't that enough? No,

there's something about God that Abraham needs to believe and to receive and take

hold of. What did he believe about God? He believed that God who

gives life to the death and and calls those things we do not exist as

though they did. Okay, who, contrary to hope and hope, believe

so that he may became made, so that he became the father of many

nations according to what was spoken? So what does that mean? Okay?

What does it mean that he believed God who gives life to the death and

calls those things which do not exist as though they're done. See, Abraham

was in this place, what was he surrounded with impossibilities, enemies, and

more importantly a very old body, an old wife, why very old and

be very old? Enemies around you, and your body failing you physiologically,

biologically, he can't have children anymore. It's just all impossibilities. Even if

I want to believe God, I see these obstacles. The place that God

calls me to be is a place that defines biology, that defines what I

see, that defines what I can understand. And so God literally called Abraham

to come out of his tent in this tent, No, the tent literally

means that we are stuck in a box. You know. We think that

because I'm all, I cannot have children, because my enemy surround me,

I'm going to die and I'm not going to have a nation. He's stuck

in the tent. He cannot get out of it. But God said that

you come out of the tent when you look at the stars and you see

what do you see? Darkness? But what do you see beyond the darkness?

Stars? Innumerable stars. Where did the stars come from? Where does

that? Then? He really said, Lord, you called them where they

call from the Where do I pull the stars from? No, you call

them from nothing into something. At that moment, Abraham understood something about God

because God revealed to him, you cannot believe in me because you are stuck

index box of your limitations. But when you come out and see who I

am and what I can do, I am the God that creates something out

of nothing makes sense. I am the God that creates something out of nothing,

and I will glorify my name through you when you believe it. Is

when he came out, he finally understood this is exactly the place I needed

to be. God allowed me to experience my body getting all and me surrounded

by enemies to know who he really is and he wants to do. Now

my job is how should I respond? Se limitation? Invitation? Now I

need to respond. I see now, God, you are the God who

calls something out of nothing. You can even put life out of deadness.

So in my weakness, in my old body, can I, you know,

believe God, the God who calls for nothing, less to believe that

he is the God who can bring life out of death. I don't want

you to just to believe that I am God. I need you to believe

that I am God who can bring something out of nothing. I am the

God who can bring life out of death. Can you believe that? Abraham

said, you all I have I believe that is what we all need to

do it now. And the moment he believed, he please God, establish

a connection smart phone, cable connected, finally connected, you know, connected.

Immediately God said, that's it. That is exactly where I need you

to be, and that is exactly where I have prepared you to respond.

Now, you received my righteousness because you have believed me not just as a

God, but you believe me as the God who is able to do exceedingly

abandoned more than you can ever imagine of. Now you understand that that we,

as Christians are We are not just to believe that God exists. No,

we are called to one to know God more and more and more and

more, to know God, to know God as who he is, the

God of glory. And the more we know Him, our lives changes one

and no, we cannot remain the same one and not because the knowledge of

God requires a person that is transformed. Get me right, I cannot accept

God when I was here. I have to get out of my tent.

It's hard, it's labored to know the Lord. But when I do,

the reward comes. So when in our lives like that, we go through

difficult times, times of ups and down, because it's a transformation ultimately to

a challenge where you respond. That is exactly where Abraham was. He believes,

and he received righteousness, and because of him, the entire nation of

Israel received that promise as well. You get me right. So now have

you heard before? So have you asked? You got to ask this question.

What is a child of Abraham? Have you heard before? Not be

called a child Abraham? Who is a child Abraham? Is it the people

who are circumcised? Is it the people who have read the Torah? No,

you are a child of Abraham, not because you are circumcised, Not

because you claim that you are a disciple of Moses. During Jesus time,

all the teachers say, we are the we are the disciples, We are

the sons of Abram. We are the disciples of Moses. Because it's no.

You are a son of Abraham. When you believe God like Abraham believed.

Makes sense. You are a son of Abraham. The intended sound of

it, when you act, when you respond, when you choose like your

father did. Not because you wear a label, not because you have a

circumcision while there's a harder label. Not because of that. It's not taken

frog. When you believe like Abraham believed, then you are a son of

Abraham. Then you're a child of Abraham. You are true inheritance. You

receive the promises and blessings of Abraham. Okay, So everybody, do you

believe God? Do you believe God as the God who is able to create

something out of nothing? Do you believe God as the ones who is able

to bring life even through death? You got? I mean right? There's

nothing in our life that we will do to ever please God, but to

believe at that level? You get me right. It's not just hey,

casual belief. No. The only believe that will please God is to believe

God according to his work. He said that I believe. So you get

me right. But it's hard, isn't it? Sometimes when we come to

Inducristian life, it's hard to believe God in our in our family, in

our business. Do we really believe like Abraham? Believe that's the final product

we are calling on? Do we examine ourselves? Are we true Christians?

Truly really truly believe God? There are times when we lack in faith,

disbelief. Enemies surround us. Our bodies fail us, our families fail us,

our job fail us. We give up? Can God not pull something

out of nothing? Do you believe? This is the time you gotta really

examine. It's not about you, It's about God. Listen, it's not

about you, not about your problem. It's about God. When you pity

yourself, when you blame, when you just don't want to do anything,

and just like, ah, you are not accusing, You're not blaming anyone.

Not you're technically blaming God. You know you are blaming God. Ultimately,

it is a blame against God. Why couldn't God. It's like,

why couldn't you believe? Get out of the tent? Hey man, you

gotta get out of ten like Abraham did. Get out of the ten.

Look at the stars, look at all your life around you? What did

you do to really earn it? Everything that you ever had was given by

God? It's got ten. God gave Abraham a victory over nine armies,

over four armies, okay, got you on, deliver him out of Egypt?

Everything what because of God? And then towards the last part, do

we have time? Okay? Ten minutes? Okay, good you guys,

get one more time? Warm part. Okay. Now it's sound a bit

tired, like let's go, let's go. Okay. So how does the

reward come about? Money change? So Abraham had the bank account? Is

it no a literal bank account? So although the money is coming in.

There needs to be a contract seal. There must be seal. Okay,

So how does this seal come from? Because you see in verse six,

okay, Genesis fifteen, verse six, he says it and he believed in

the Lord, and God accounted to Abraham for righteousness. Then God said to

him, I am the Lord who brought you out of earth of the Kaldeans

to give you this land to inherit it. Then Abraham, very smart,

he asked a very very acceptable question. Okay, he said, God,

how shall I know that I will inherit it. It's not like I have

a phone and I can check my bank account and I cannot check my touch

and goal got money. Or how would I know that I've inherited it?

A very fair legal question, okay. Then God said to him, bring

me a three year high, three year female God and all the things,

okay, all the different animals he brought. In Verse ten, he says

that Abraham brought all these things and he cut them into half. Ooh.

Interesting. He cut them into half down the middle and placed them each opposite

side to the other. But he didn't cut the birds into two. But

when the vultures came on the carcasses, Abraham drove them away. So literally,

what I'm let me describe to you is that God asking to bring all

these animals, and Abraham took all these animals, cut them up, put

one of the animal one half, the other half half half all the way

to the bed. Okay, line up. Now, it's quite quite bloody.

But he literally did that. Okay, one side and the other side.

Okay, put them all they half. So when the voutures came,

he drove them away. Okay, stay with me here, stay with me

here. Okay, now he says here in verse twelve, he was waiting,

and when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham,

and behold a great horror, and great darkness fell upon him. And

then God said to Abraham, knows certainly that your descendants would be strangers in

the land that is not theirs, and will serve them. And they will

be affected for four hundred years. And also the nations whom they serve,

I will judge afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now, as

for you, you shall go to your father in peace. You shall be

buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return

here for the iniquity of the amirits is not yet complete. Now in verse

seventeen. And it came to pass when the sun went down and it was

dark. There behold they are a smoking oven okay, literally a smoking oven

and the burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day,

the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying to your descendants are given this

land from the river of Egypt to the Great River, and so on and

so forth. Okay, So what happened? I told you? They line

up the pieces, I said, this is the last part ready, okay,

line of the pieces. Okay, one half of the body, one

half of the body. When darkness came, okay, I was all tired.

He was waiting, and then darkness came. He received a prophecy about

the future for his generation. Okay, you're all ready. But then after

the prophecy will happened, he says, a burning ourn and a torch will

walk between the pieces. So basically from here where I am, basically walk

all the way until they end there. Such a weird thing, man,

It's like SpongeBob and you know, burning and the torch literally walking. It's

like animation. What does that even mean so weird, so exotic? You

know, it's like I imagine it. What does it actually mean? Okay?

All this is actually about a contract. Okay, a contract when last

time when people make contracts, right, they didn't have agreements or anything.

So what they do is that they will take animals they were cutting into half.

Okay, Pasa Dania, maybe can come out with me. Now I'm

going to cut into half. Okay, So it stayed beside me. So

you and I made an agreement, okay, and they say based for example,

we're gonna buy a house, you are selling it to me. Okay,

I'm gonna buy it from you. So we don't contract, So we

buy a lot toust you and we cut into half. Okay, No,

toast your line. It'll be more like kind to her. Don't waste test

you. Okay, fine, cutting into half, and then you are gonna

walk first, slowly walk down, and then you are gonna say, this

is my house. I have not polluted it, I have not cheated money

of it. It does belong to me, so and so and so as

you slowly walk through. If I lie and I cheat and I falsely claim

all these things, let it be done onto me as it is done to

this animal. When you how many of you write contracts agreements, I do

be a legal agreement. When you write agreement, what's the first few pages?

It's declaration of who you are? Isn't it me? Matthew, Cha

and so and so? Sound mind your IC number. You can be your

represent You must identify the party. And then you go to the next stage.

What you promise us? Isn't it your agreement? What you promise,

I will sell you to you this property at this place so and so and

so and so you know, and I claim this and so it is not

nonsense. And then you might have appendix okay, then you have the consideration,

which is the purchase amount. Then towards the last part is what termination

clauses? Coronna? What does the termination clauses say? If you break anything

that you represented, you'll be punished so and so on. So when he

walks down like that, so I am declaring all the contractual things. And

if I lie to you, I will be cut off in half like just

this animal, and then people will bear witness to it. So basically,

Abraham, when God called Abram to do it right, Abraham understood what is

about. He knows what is what God is calling. Oh God, you

want to cut a contract with me? Okay, great? So he brought

all the animals. I think he's scared, like, no, God,

you know I believe in you. Now you want me to cut a contract.

But I'm signing a contract with God. And he said a contract.

It's scary. You know, you cannot fool around one. Not he prepared,

and then he waited and waited and waited because he's waiting for what.

He's waiting for God to come down and to walk down. Is in it?

I told you ready? Then sorry, you can come back. Thank

you very much. Pasta Daniel, Yeah, they can have you see it

ready. So Abram was waiting for God to come and to walk it through.

He understood it. We're gonna sign this contract. I'm going to declare

it. But then he receives a vision and when he wakes up for the

vision, he saw the burning torch and the oven going ahead of him.

What does that mean? He means, it's like you wake up, you're

supposed to sign this contract and you realize it's been signed. It's been signed.

Who and you sign? You look at the contract between two parties.

But then there's a third party. See the third party is that the person

who's gonna receive it is Abraham. You get the benefit, but who is

guaranteeing it? Another person? Who is that person? Jesus? It's like,

let me give you an example of this contract. But it's like maybe

then you come again, uh say, okay, I know this sounds a

bit wrong. Now okay, let's say you have a household okay, and

Albert it's your son, okay, and I am the university. I'm the

university. You come to me to write an agreement, okay, saying what

you're gonna get my son. You're gonna get your son to end turn into

my university to study and get all the privileges. But instead of him paying

for it, you're gonna pay for it. There is no upside for you.

You're not gonna get the knowledge. He's gonna get the knowledge. He

doesn't have to pay anything. And you write it because and you sign this

contract because you love him. So there's a three party people involved. So

Abraham was supposed to be Daniel to receive it. You know, it's that

way. They said, Albert is supposed to be like Abraham. He was.

He thought that he was waiting, maybe I got to pay this school

fee from my own money, waiting, waiting, waiting and waiting, and

he realized God, the Father himself has sent a proxy to pay for him

so that Abraham can receive it and the same. This is what, because

what they call it the covenant agreement that God provides us to thank you so

much. So this is how God seals the agreement for Abraham, and how

God seals the agreement for us as believers as well. We receive because Jesus

paid. We get to go into the university. We get, but we

had to choose to decide what you choose to do out the university. I

hope you go to university, you study la. Don't go there and lepar,

you know, and waste your time playing computer game. You know.

But regardless of what you do, I pay for it. Ready, you

give me. I pay for it. Regardless of what you do. I

paid for Ready. I'm letting you know I love you so much no matter

what I pay. Ready, But you gotta walk it. And if he

is a good son, he will know that the Father's love that provided for

him, he will walk through it. And the more he walks to it

that he will realize, the more he learns about his father and his love,

and he comes out transformed. See. Yeah, when you look at

the Old Testament and the New Testament, right, he's like the old version

and the New version, but they are it's almost the same. It's like,

you know, Jesus is greater than Abraham. Jesus is greater than Moses.

Jesus is greater than David. Jesus is greater than Elijah. You get

me right? You see that New Testament. It's always there's something that is

in the Old Testament that kind of gives us a preview, but the New

Testament gives it the completion. Okay, so what did you learn today?

It's like, as we wrap this up, God is faithful. God is

able to cause something out of nothing, isn't it? Or is it able

to come something out of nothing? Do you believe it? And when you

believe God knows we stumble? Want to know Abraham already in just four chapters,

are Abraham stumble a few times? Ready? You know, go to

the wrong place in Egypt has spiritual awakening, then immediately the next day has

spiritual depression. But God's too went truth for him. Amazing, isn't it?

God is faithful or not, God is so faithful. We hope you've

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

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this week is going to be a good week, a hit for you. God bless