Genesis | Part 11 | Snapshots of the Christian Life

If you have your Bibles, uh, go with me to the book of Genesis.

We're gonna be looking at chapter, end of chapter 12, into the first part of chapter 13 today.

If you're new here, I want to say a special welcome to you.

We uh just so you know, uh I tend to preach, we tend to preach here.

Uh there you are.

I just texted you, said I didn't see you, Stephen.

I didn't see you this morning.

So yeah, I text some Stephen.

I don't know who I text, but um anyways, but uh we tend to preach book by book through the Bible.

We are called as pastors to preach the whole counsel of God, and uh we're called to preach text uh with in context, and so it's so helpful to get the holistic view of each book of the Bible.

So we're in this journey through Genesis, and again I'll invite you to turn with me to Genesis chapter 12.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

If you haven't say amen.

All right, so I'm gonna actually set this down here.

I need my table for my Bible.

All right, Genesis chapter 12.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

So social media feeds are filled with snapshots, aren't they?

Affording us the opportunities to peer into the lives of friends and family members.

But I want you to remember when you look at those photos online, they are carefully, carefully curated versions of reality.

You know this, right?

Because you do it too.

Let me just give you an example.

You know, constantly, particularly during the summer months, we we see these pictures of family vacations, yeah?

And inevitably, what are the pictures going to be?

That there's these smiling faces in front of this breathtaking backdrop.

And wonderful.

But how many know if you've ever been on a family vacation, that's not the whole story.

Come on, somebody.

Some of you've experienced this year.

See, see, they're they're carefully selected snapshots because they don't want us to see the whole vacation.

Like you don't see the dad, the snapshot of the father, uh kind of freaking out that they're going over their vacation budget.

You don't see the kids fighting in the backseat of the car, or perhaps a mom and dad stressing to get out the door lest they miss their flight.

You don't see the conversations that go on and on about where are we gonna eat?

Right?

Come on.

So, so my point is simply this people tend to be very selective of what snapshots we get to see in their lives.

The same is true for many believers.

There are many Christians who only let people see the good snapshots of their walk with God.

And I think there's a danger to that because if that's all you see, particularly if you're a new believer, and that's all you see is the good snapshots of my life and the lives of those people around you, you you'll think you're the only one who struggles.

You're you're you'll think you're the only one who makes a mess of things sometimes.

You know, we we name this church real life for a couple of reasons.

One, we want to be real followers of Jesus, but there's another meaning behind that word real as well in the context of this church.

Listen, I grew up in a church where I thought everybody, I'm in a very large church, and I thought I was the only one with issues.

And I came to find out, and I felt really bad about myself, but I came to find out later that actually I didn't have as many issues as most of them, right?

Here's the thing in this church, we we don't we don't celebrate sin to be sure, but we want to be honest.

We want to be real.

Isn't that what's what the Bible calls us to be?

So there's a danger in being selective over the snapshots of our walk with Christ that we show others.

Now, wonderfully, the Bible doesn't withhold the bad snapshots.

Are you with me?

And we're gonna see this in the story of Abraham, which we started unpacking last week.

We find the full photo album of his life: the good, the bad, and the really ugly.

Here's the big idea.

Don't miss this.

The Christian life is not a collection of perfect snapshots.

It's a story of imperfect people who are saved and sustained by the grace of Jesus Christ.

That ought to encourage you this morning.

So we're gonna look this morning at five snapshots of Abraham's walk with God.

And you say, well, what does that have to do with us?

Well, here's the cool thing that you need to know about Genesis, and I didn't coin this phrase, but but listen, Genesis is not just about what happened, but it's about what always happens.

And so as we look at these five snapshots of Abraham's walk with God, I would argue that these are five snapshots of the Christian life as well.

So here we go.

If you're ready, smile at me.

Look like you're happy to be saved this morning.

All right.

Some of you look saved and mad about it.

Snapshot number one is this a new and promising life.

A new and promising life.

Before God calls Abraham, you might remember this from last week.

He lives in this land called Ur.

You know, could you imagine?

Somebody asked you where you're from, Ur, you know, just sounds like a grumpy place.

Well, what you need to know about Ur in Abraham's day is that it was uh a very pagan city.

There was uh polytheism.

In other words, people uh worshiped multiple gods.

It was a very, very dark place.

And this is where Abraham's family lived when God came to Abram.

And by the way, Abram, Abraham, I'll use those interchangeably.

But interestingly, you say, well, surely uh Abraham, you know, and his family, they weren't participating in this cult worship, this idolatry.

Actually, that's not the case.

And the Bible very explicitly states in Joshua chapter 24 that Abraham's family was very involved in adultery.

Joshua 24 · chapter mention

And yet, what happens here?

In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham to himself, both in relationship and vocation, not by merit, but by grace.

And here's what happens: he blesses Abraham.

He says, I'm gonna use you, this man who is involved in idolatry, I'm gonna use you to bless the nations.

It's through Abraham that the Messiah would eventually come to bring salvation to all the peoples of the earth.

And Abraham responds to God's call we saw last week with this is all review, by the way, so I'm moving quickly through this point.

But Abraham responds with faith and obedience and worship.

This, friends, is a snapshot of a new and promising life.

Uh taken, Abraham was taken out of darkness, out of paganism, and into a right relationship with the living God.

Imagine how life must have been in Earth.

And now it's a new day.

God shows up.

It's a new day, it's a the start of a new life.

This is the snapshot of every Christian life.

It's the first one.

It's what we just celebrated in the baptismal tank.

Stephanie, a couple weeks ago, felt the Lord drawing her because, as I said last week, you didn't find God, God found you.

The only reason you came to the altar or you cried out to God in your bedroom is because God was pursuing you, which is an amazing thought.

And so Stephanie came down and she responded to God's call with faith in repentance and baptism.

Acts 2.38.

What must we do to be saved?

Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

She has been saved by faith, and today she's been baptized.

Here's what the snapshot is: it's the same snapshot that you saw in the book of Exodus.

Do you remember?

Shake your head at me if you know the Exodus story.

So the Israelites, they're under bondage for centuries in their slaves in Egypt, and God saves them and he brings them to a new life in a new land.

And what do they have to do to get there?

They have to cross the waters of the Red Sea.

And Paul, I believe it's in Romans, frames our baptism like this: it's a picture of going through the waters.

It's a picture of leaving the pagan life behind, leaving Egypt behind, going through the waters onto a new life.

It's a glorious snapshot, but it's only one picture of a thousand in the Christian life.

So snapshot number two is unexpected trials.

I want you to look at verse 10 with me.

Now there was a famine in the land.

Now let me tell you what's happening here.

So Abraham, Abram, God said, Follow me in the beginning of 12.

I'm gonna show to the land that I will show you.

And so God sends Abram to the land of Canaan, which is becomes the promised land of Israel.

So Abraham gets there, and the Lord says, I'm gonna give this land to your offspring.

And so the the following verses say that Abraham kind of goes throughout the land.

He goes to Bethel, he pitches a tent, and then he goes on to this place called Negeb.

But uh that so that's like verses seven through nine.

So Abraham just got this promise.

This is gonna be our land.

Now watch verse 10.

Now there was a what?

A famine in the land.

So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was what?

Severe in the land.

What land?

The land that God had just promised him.

Here's my point.

Abraham has to abandon the land that God has promised to him.

This famine, I would argue, is an unexpected trial.

Imagine if if God, you've been praying for a house and God shows you this house and he leads you to go look at it, and he says, This is the house I'm gonna bless you with.

And then all of a sudden, you you know, you get it inspected, and there's five million problems with it.

And they're gonna, they're like, you know, you you you can't stay here.

It's kind of what happened, is happening here, but to a much greater degree.

This must have been puzzling.

You know, it's I've done a lot of weddings in my 25 years of ministry, and it's it's it's almost cute to see how naive newlyweds can be.

I make them do premarital counseling, and and they'll come in and here's they'll say things like this.

Well, I'll say, well, how do you think you're gonna get through this marriage?

How are you gonna remain in a lifelong covenant relationship with your spouse?

And they're all it's always something like this.

Well, all we need is love.

That is so naive, isn't it?

Come on, married people, just be honest.

Listen, and then here's what happens they're they're going in, uh chasing this quote unquote happily ever after dream.

And it's like day four after the honeymoon, they're going, what?

What is this?

Unexpected trials.

Now, now is marriage amazing?

Is it a blessing?

Yes, but it's not without problems, difficulties, and it is the same with the Christian life.

And so, people I've I've walked them through salvation and they've been baptized and put their faith in Christ, and then inevitably, what's gonna happen at some point?

A trial is gonna come your way, and a lot of Christians are shocked because what are we promised in Christ?

What does the Bible promise promise us?

Abundant life in Jesus.

Yes and amen.

That's true, that's what we get.

But the abundant life is not without suffering, let's say.

Just like marriage.

Is it wonderful?

Yes, but not without trials.

1 Peter 4 12, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you.

Why does Peter have to write this?

Because the believers, these are Christians, they're surprised at the trials they're going through.

Well, Jesus, we go to church, we pay our offerings, we even take notes during the sermon.

We even come Wednesday nights.

We're super Christians.

Why in the world would this be happening to me?

I mean, be honest this morning.

This is real life.

How many of you have ever like committed to God in a special way, maybe to start a ministry or or to serve in in some particular way?

And you just, I mean, you're doing devotions every morning, you are committed, and then what happens?

All of a sudden, you this like horrible situation comes into your life.

And if let's be honest, have you ever said, God, man, I'm doing all this, what's going on?

I'm doing all this for you, what's going on?

See, regardless of what you may or may not be doing, life comes with suffering.

We live in a fallen world, and then there's testing that comes into the life of the Christian.

The snapshots of unexpected trials are inevitable.

And here's the thing Abraham is about to encounter another unexpected trial in Egypt, and his response isn't great.

Here's what I want you to take away from this as we move into the next point.

The real danger of the Christian life is not the trials, but it's our response to the trials.

So that's what we discover in the next snapshot.

Snapshot number three, unsteady faith.

So we go from unexpected trials to unsteady faith.

Look with me at verses 11 through 16.

This is a wild story.

So when he was about to enter Egypt, and by the way, this is again another picture of what's going to happen in the book of Exodus.

Right?

Abraham's in the promised land where there's a famine, and then he has to go to Egypt.

There's problems in Egypt, and then he has to go out of Egypt.

God brings him out of Egypt.

That's a that's a picture, that's a that echoes the Exodus story.

Yes?

Kind of cool.

All right, that was free.

Here we go.

Verse 11.

When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai, his wife, I know that you are a woman, beautiful in appearance.

Now, you got to know something.

Sarah is about 65 at this point.

And I don't think she has all the skin creams that you ladies have today.

But here's you say, really?

She's beautiful?

She's that beautiful?

Well, understand, she lived, I think, to be 127 years old.

Now, this is like today, you know, if if a lady were to live to 80 years old, that would be this is the 40-year-old Mark, all right?

So Abraham knows she's still pretty good looking, and this might cause trouble.

Verse 12, so he says to his wife, so when the Egyptians see you, they're gonna say, This is his wife.

Then they will kill me because uh but they'll let you live.

You get what's going on here?

Let's take out the husband.

Verse 13, so say you're my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, that my life may be spared for your sake.

And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

You know, sometimes you might think your uh your wife is beautiful because you love her so much, but others might go, I'm not so sure.

Like the the town is yeah, husbands, uh I'm not gonna say who that might be and who that uh might not be, but here's the thing: every she truly is beautiful, and not just on the inside.

Come on.

So when Abraham entered Egypt, verse 14, the Egyptians saw the woman was very beautiful, and when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

And you can read between the lines there.

And for her sake he dealt well with Abram, who, you know, Pharaoh thinks this is her Abram's her brother.

And he had sheep and oxen and male donkeys and male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

So this goes pretty well for Abraham in the beginning.

Guys, you can't make this up.

This is wild.

Understand Egypt, not a good place at this point.

It's a pagan nation and it's under tyrannical rule, like it's not a place you want to go.

And Abraham knows you know that Pharaoh gets what Pharaoh wants.

That's what tyrants do.

You you don't want to be under a tyranny, by the way.

All right.

So he goes, Sarah, you're beautiful.

And he's like, when Pharaoh sees you, he's gonna be like, Wow, I have to add this woman to my harem.

So Abraham, I mean, this is wild.

Rather than trust God, Abraham concocks this horrendous plan to give his wife to Pharaoh.

Take matters into his own hand.

Now, this is wild.

His faith becomes unsteady.

That's interesting because when you think of Abraham, you cannot help but think of faith.

As a matter of fact, you you're familiar if you've um read your Bible with Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

We call it the hall of faith.

Do you know that Abram is Abraham is mentioned three times?

His faith is commended three times there.

But here we have a picture of his faith faltering.

It is very unsteady.

And you might ask, a good question to ask was why does his faith falter?

Because we don't want our faith to falter.

And there's one word, a one-word answer that I'll give you.

Why does his faith falter?

Here it is, fear.

It's fear.

Realize this: God has promised Abram a son.

This has not come to pass, which means that God will not, if he's true to his word, he's not gonna let Abraham die here.

And Abraham should know this and trust the Lord, but he doesn't.

He really believes that God's gonna let him die if he doesn't take matters into his own hands.

And so here's what he does: he doubts God, and he is completely paralyzed by fear.

Um, fear and faith cannot coexist.

Let me just read you a couple texts from the New Testament, Mark 440.

This is when, remember, um, Jesus is asleep on the boat, there's a storm, and his disciples are like, ah, you know, going crazy.

And here's what Jesus says.

That was weird, sorry.

He says, Why are you so afraid?

Okay, why are you so afraid?

Do you still have no faith?

Fear and faith cannot coexist.

Mark 5, 36, Jesus is going to heal a daughter by a man by the name of uh of a man by the name of Jairis.

In Jairis, as he goes along, he starts to doubt.

And here's what Jesus says: do not what?

Do you know the text?

Fear only believe.

It's on the screen.

Of course, you know the text.

Do not fear, only believe.

So when this trial comes into Abraham's life, here's what happens: he is fearful, fearing for his life, so he becomes unstable.

His faith is unstable.

Now, let me ask you, have you ever been there?

Like you're you would consider yourself a person, generally speaking, of strong faith.

But when you got that diagnosis, your faith became a bit unsteady.

Or when your your your kid became a prodigal, you you've become a little unsteady in your faith, and you've tried to take matters into your own hands.

Let me read you another verse about fear in the Bible.

Proverbs 29 25.

The fear of man lays a snare.

But whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

It's exactly what we see happening.

There's one philosopher, I think, in the 18th century.

I can't remember who it was, but he said this.

He said, No passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.

Translation, fear will make you do some stupid things.

Now, I'm not condoning those old, I guess you call them horror movies, the uh like I don't watch them, but I know the storylines.

A serial killer or somebody comes in, right?

And sneaks into the house, and what happens?

You're acting like you don't know, right?

It's real life.

I know some of you watch have watched this stuff, but here's what happens that there's somebody on the couch, you know, maybe a pretty smart person, but all of a sudden they get afraid and they do stupid things.

It's like I hear something.

Instead of going outside, like in another room, instead of going outside, what do they do?

It's like, let me go peek in the closet.

It doesn't make any sense.

And that is so true that fear makes us do some crazy things.

And this is what happens here.

Abraham is scared and he acts impulsively and recklessly.

He is he becomes so deceitful and selfish, this great man of faith.

He concocts this plan.

He tells Sarah, this is a lie.

Tell, tell Pharaoh you're my sister.

Because if he knows you're my husband, he's gonna kill me because he wants you.

But here's what happens.

He knows this.

Pharaoh's gonna marry.

He's gonna bring his wife into his harem.

But he he tells Sarah, act deceitfully.

Can we agree lying is a sin?

It's one of the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not lie.

But not only does Abraham lie, but he leads his wife to sin.

It's one thing to sin, but but it's quite another thing to lead your spouse into sin.

Fear leads us to deception so often so often.

Let me give you an example of this.

Let's just say that you are really struggling financially, and that's probably many of us right now.

Well, if we do not trust the Lord in our financial stress, here will be the temptation.

There'll be a temptation to lie on our taxes and to make shady business deals because we don't trust God's providence.

And this is what's happening here.

And not only does he lie, but but he goes into self-preservation mode, self-preservation mode, and he exploits his wife.

I want you to notice uh in verse 12, he says, They will kill me.

Verse 13, say you're my sister, so it will go well with who?

Me.

My life, then he says, will be spared on your account.

Abraham's motive here is clear for all this.

He wants to protect his own life.

I mean, think about this lady.

His Abraham is saying to his wife, go marry this other dude, be part of his harem, go be part of this cult.

That way I can be safe.

Not a champion husband.

Think about this, just as just as a little rabbit trail here.

You're gonna see, we haven't read this part yet, but if you know the story, who's the good guy in the story?

Abram or the Pharaoh?

Neither one of them are heroes, but who's who's a little better in the story?

It's Pharaoh.

You know some Christians, or or let's say some non-Christians who act a little better than some Christians?

That's sad, isn't it?

That's free as well.

So here's what Abraham does.

He's willing to exploit his wife.

I mean, can you imagine him seeing his wife walk into the palace?

Well, at least I'm safe.

Giving his wife into the arms of another man to save his own tail.

Wow.

This is what fear can do, and a lack of faith can do.

It can cause us to be very selfish.

I love the uh story of the two friends who were out camping and they were uh looking out in the distance and they saw a grizzly bear.

And so one friend starts, he opens his little bag, he starts putting on his socks and his running shoes.

And the friend looks at him and says, What are you doing, Debbie?

You can't outrun a bear.

He said, I don't need to outrun a bear, I just need to outrun you.

This is what fear does.

It paralyzes us.

And we can, to save ourselves, we can exploit, let's say, the people around us.

And here's why I wanted to point this out.

Guys, isn't this encouraging when you think about the less than desirable snapshots in your own Christian life?

That you're not the only one that has these, that Abraham himself has this horrendous of a snapshot.

I I was with somebody that I've gotten to know fairly well, um, I think not this weekend, but last.

And she says to me, Pastor, just kind of in passing, she said, I'm glad you have a little bit of heathen in you.

Now, it's not that I did this grand sin, but I'm real.

I don't try to act holier than thou.

Okay?

I pursue holiness, but but but I don't spiritualize everything, and I don't try to hide my flaws.

All right?

I'm working on them.

So so so have grace on me like I have on you.

But but here's the thing: this person was not celebrating the fact that I have flaws, but I think celebrating the fact that it's so encouraging to know that even pastors struggle.

Does that help anybody this morning?

Get this seeing Abraham's failure does not excuse ours.

It reminds us that genuine faith at times can be unsteady.

Are you with me?

So he's got this snapshot of unsteady faith, but the good news is that it's never the final snapshot.

Snapshot number four is unbelievable grace.

It moves from unsteady faith to unbelievable grace.

Look at the rest of this uh of chapter 12, verse 17.

But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abraham's wife.

Now, that seems unfair, like Pharaoh didn't know, but he's not innocent.

He has a harem.

He he's uh he's misusing, let's say, to be kind.

Uh he's misusing Sarah, regardless of Abraham's relationship with her.

So Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this you've done to me?

Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?

Why did you say she's my sister, so that I took her as my wife?

Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.

And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

Now I've spent a considerable amount of time highlighting Abraham's failure, his fears, his lack of trust, his lies, his selfishness.

But then we come to three words that change everything.

Did you see them?

But the Lord.

You know the only reason you're here today when you made a mess of your life is because of those three words, but the Lord.

You were faithless, but the Lord.

You messed up, but the Lord.

You turned your back on God, but the Lord.

You took matters into your own hand, but the Lord.

You sinned, but the Lord.

Those words ought to be music to your ears.

Abraham's made a mess out of things, but God steps in.

He brings judgment upon Pharaoh.

He saves Sarah.

This is really good news.

Before the marriage is consummated, before he's had his way with her, he steps in and says, No, this isn't gonna happen.

And he brings, like he will with Israel, he brings Abraham and Sarah out of Egypt safely back into the promised land.

What grace! And did you see Abraham leaves with a bunch of stuff?

God doesn't say, Well, I forgive you, but you're leaving all your blessings here.

No, he blesses him.

This is amazing.

This is nothing but grace.

He doesn't abandon Abraham.

When you and I sin when we miss the mark, this is great news.

God does not abandon us.

1 John 2, 1, my little children, writing to believers, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

Okay, we should never use God's grace as a license to sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Are you grateful you have a faithful advocate today?

Again, it's the only reason you're here.

When you've made a mess out of your life, Jesus is talking on your behalf, going, Oh, this person is covered by my sacrificial atonement, by my blood.

They are righteous in me, and we are our mess is met with mercy.

Let's say it like that.

It's why you're still standing today.

Which then brings us to the final snapshot.

How do you respond to this grace?

Because whether you know it or not, that's why you're here.

It's not because you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, it's because of God's grace.

So, how do we respond?

Snapshot number five is unfeigned repentance.

And I just wanted to stay on the U-train, so that word unfeigned means authentic, true repentance.

Look at verses one through four of chapter 13.

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him into Negeb.

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold, and he journeyed on from Negeb as far as Bethel.

Watch this, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first.

And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.

Wow.

How does Abram respond to God's grace?

He goes back to Bethel.

God brings him out back to Bethel where he first pitched his tent, where he met with God in the promised land.

He went back to the beginning.

He goes back to the altar that he built to worship God.

And again, he worships.

And then what's he do?

He calls upon the name of the Lord.

These are all signs of repentance.

It's a repentance is to change directions.

He turns from his own wisdom and from his sin.

And again, he turns back to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He turns back to God the Father in that day.

And this is what we do when we mess up.

And God meets us with grace.

We turn back to Jesus.

We repent.

We confess our sins before the Lord.

Notice what he doesn't do.

He doesn't just go on sinning.

Though he will mess up again, by the way.

He doesn't hide from God like Adam and Eve in the garden.

He doesn't throw in the towel and say, Well, I messed this up.

And he doesn't condemn himself and self-deprecate.

Now, this is really important.

What's he do?

He goes back to the beginning.

I I love this.

So, Stephanie, when when when there's this kind of a snapshot in your life, hopefully it won't be as bad as Abraham.

What do you do?

Because we and I talked about this.

What do you do when your faith becomes unsteady?

Or you say something or do something that's against the word of God.

You just go back to the altar.

You just get on your knees and you cry out to God again and you start back from the beginning.

Wow.

And I felt so strongly that I need to preach this to somebody today.

I don't know who you are.

Hopefully, there's multiple somebody that need to hear this.

Abraham receives God's grace.

He acknowledges his sin and then he turns forward from it and he moves forward.

And the reason I point this out is because I believe there's some people here today that you messed up 25 years ago.

And I can say this because I still think sometimes that I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing because of something I did, something stupid 25 years ago or 30 years ago.

When I've confessed it and turned from it.

Some of you are thinking, what'd he do?

Jordan Peterson said this on a podcast.

Please hear me on this.

I'm almost done.

He says, we've all made mistakes.

And then he says, I would say probably everybody makes unforgivable mistakes.

What he means by that, he's not talking about God not forgiving us.

What he means is we've all messed up and we know that.

But most of us in here, if we're honest, we've messed up royally in a way that's hurt not just us, but the people around us.

So I'm going to read this again.

Please don't miss this.

We've all made mistakes, and I would say probably everybody makes unforgivable mistakes.

And so he says, if we're going to take ourselves apart about it permanently, then we are all ruined.

Here's what he's saying.

And let's just put this within a Christian context.

If you have sinned and broken the heart of God, that's not nothing.

I'm not making light of that.

If you've hurt from your sin the people around you, that's not nothing, and I'm not making light of it.

But we have all done that to different degrees.

So if we all just say, well, I'm done.

I'm a Christian, but uh God's never gonna use me again.

Then who's gonna do what I'm doing today?

And who's gonna do what you're called to do?

We are all ruined if we let our past mistakes ruin us permanently.

When God meets you with grace, can't receive it.

He doesn't just forgive you, he washes you.

He who confesses his sin.

God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us.

Some of you know the forgiveness part, but here's the word I have for you today.

You need to feel cleansed.

Because I know what it's like to be washed in the showers of grace and still feel filthy.

I promise you, I'm not joking when I say, and my wife is sitting back there.

This is something I struggle with and struggle with and struggle with.

But he didn't just die to forgive you.

He took your shame, he took your guilt.

And watch this.

I mean, this is a big thing that Abraham did.

It's a major mess up.

This isn't just a little blip in the story.

This is huge.

Giving his wife away to be married and abused by some tyrant.

But God doesn't just forgive him.

He wonderfully does that.

But he uses him.

He goes on.

I mean, Abraham is the great patriarch of the Christian faith.

So why in the world, even with your mess ups, could God not still use you?

Oh, I hope whoever that's for would hear that today.

So, what do you do today?

You acknowledge your sin, you receive God's grace, and just get up and move forward.

You have, let me go further.

You have a moral obligation to move forward.

Because there's somebody that needs to be ministered by you.

And if you sit around in self-condemnation, then they are missing out.

You have a moral obligation to them to get up, to wipe off the dust, and to receive God's grace and to move forward.

The world's depending on it.

So as I close out, this song as I was preparing just came to mind.

Come thou found of every blessing.

I think this just sums up everything I've said.

Oh, to grace, how great a debtor.

Daily I am constrained to be.

Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it.

Prone to leave the God I love.

Here's my heart, Lord.

Take and seal it, seal it for thy courts.

Above.

You look back over your Christian photo album, you're gonna find some snapshots of victories and some snapshots of great failures.

But there's one thing that you will see in every single photo: the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

The Christian life is not the story of people who never wander, but of a faithful Savior who continues to save and restore and heal and bless.

Abraham's story isn't over.

We're gonna see that in coming weeks.

But Genesis is not just about what happened, just about what happened.

It's about what always happens.

His story isn't over, and neither is yours.