Genesis Ch21v1-21 - God's Promise, My Response

Well, the arrival of a newborn baby, if that has been your experience, is no small thing.

They have the habit of changing our lives and disrupting our schedules.

Our whole life is turned upside down.

Everything changes.

It is amazing how such a tiny human being can cause such an upheaval.

Well, the promised arrival of baby Isaac into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Abraham is no small thing.

In fact, the birth of Isaac changes everything.

It impacts the whole history of the world.

It's a birth that demands a response from each one of us.

You see, how we respond to the birth of Isaac will either lead to uncontainable joy or unimaginable misery.

Either uncontainable joy or unimaginable misery.

So what I want us to do this morning is to look at the promise of God in chapter 21.

And as we think about the promise, think about what our response to it is going to be.

So first, big long titles this morning.

Faith in God's promise leads to uncontainable joy.

Faith in God's promise leads to uncontainable joy.

You remember back in chapter 12, God had made the promise to Abraham.

He says, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.

And all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.

It was a promise that would restore broken lives and renew this disordered world.

The problem was, Abraham and Sarah had no son.

And no son meant no means of the blessing continuing.

In fact, they are now both very old.

Abraham was about to celebrate his centenary and Sarah was hitting the big 9-0.

The chances for them having a child and keeping the hope of blessing alive were as good as gone.

But let's remember who made the promise.

Look at verse 1.

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said.

And the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.

Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age.

At the very time God had promised him.

You see, what God said, God did.

What God promised, God fulfilled.

Now these kinds of things aren't supposed to happen.

OAPs don't have babies.

But that's precisely the point.

With God, the impossible happens.

God always delivers on his promise, even when we think it's dead and gone.

You see, God had promised to bless the nations of the world through the family line of Abraham.

And God was determined to make sure that that promise would be fulfilled.

That nothing and no one, not even an old age couple, would stop what God says he is going to do.

Now the promises are not just to be admired.

They are promises that are to be believed.

We could imagine the old couple, Sarah and Abraham, looking over their crib, cooing at baby Isaac as he gurgled away.

And with a big beaming smile, Sarah says, look at verse 6,

God has brought me laughter.

Of course, it's not the only time that Sarah laughed, is it?

Have a look back at chapter 18.

Go back to chapter 18 in verse 12.

Here Sarah has been promised that she will have a son.

And look at her response, verse 12.

So Sarah laughed to herself, as she thought,

After I am worn out and my Lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?

Then the Lord said to Abraham,

Why did Sarah laugh and say,

Will I really have a child now that I'm old?

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

I will return to you at the appointed time next year

and Sarah will have a son.

Go back to chapter 21.

You see, there it was a laugh of doubt and disbelief.

You've got to be joking.

That ain't possible.

But now the possible has happened.

The promise has been fulfilled.

And Sarah laughs.

A laugh not of disbelief,

But of sheer, uncontainable delight

In what God has done.

You see, deep down in the midst of all the doubting and wondering,

There was a fragile faith.

A faith not in her ability,

But in God's ability to do great things.

Now in chapter 21,

It's perhaps hard for us to detect

Where Sarah's faith is.

But scripture wants us to see

Sarah's faith.

The writer of Hebrews

Records it for us.

Can you follow there on the screen?

And by faith,

Even Sarah,

Who was past childbearing age,

Was enabled to bear children

Because she considered him faithful,

Who had made the promise.

You see, Sarah's faith

Is not a great faith

Or a confident faith.

It's a faith in the faithfulness of God.

You see, faith in God

Enables Sarah to know

The blessing that God had promised.

Yes, Isaac was her son.

She was delighted in having a son.

But there was something bigger and greater

Because through him

Would come the greater and ultimate son,

Jesus Christ,

Who would come to restore the broken lives

And renew this disordered world.

And now Sarah is beginning to have a taste.

To share in the blessing of God.

But what was Sarah's experience

Can also be our experience.

Look at verse 6 again with me.

Sarah said,

God has brought me laughter

And everyone who hears about this

Will laugh with me.

You see, the promise of blessing

Isn't just for Sarah.

It's for others too.

It's a joy that overflows

And is to be shared and experienced

By other people.

Do you see it there in the middle of verse 6?

And everyone who hears about this

Will laugh with me.

So how do we get to share

In Sarah's delight?

How do we experience

This uncontainable joy

That's bursting out of Sarah?

Well, it's all by faith.

Come with me please

To Luke's Gospel

Chapter 1

Luke's Gospel

Chapter 1

Because here we get to see

How and why

We can celebrate

And share in Sarah's delight.

You see, the birth of Isaac

Would ultimately lead

To the birth of God's son

Jesus Christ

The one who comes to

Renew the broken world

And restore our broken lives.

And with the coming of Jesus

The Saviour

There was lots of

Joyful laughter.

Mary, who was pregnant

With Jesus, God's son

Goes to visit her cousin

Elizabeth, who is also pregnant.

Now look at how

Elizabeth responds

When Mary comes to her.

We pick it up in verse 44.

So this is Elizabeth

Who's pregnant

Speaking to Mary

Who's come to see her.

Verse 44

As soon as the sound

Of your greeting

Reached my ears

The baby in my womb

Leaped for joy.

Blessed is she

Who has believed

That the Lord

Would fulfil

His promise

To her.

And Mary said

My soul glorifies

The Lord

And my spirit

Rejoices in God

My Saviour.

You see

Mary and Elizabeth

Rejoiced

They've come to see

That the promised

Saviour

Has come.

And even an unborn baby

Is leaping and jumping

For joy

That the Saviour

Of the world

Who will renew

And restore all things

Has come.

What a day

Of celebration.

But it wasn't just

For Mary

And Elizabeth.

It was a joy

For the whole world.

Look at Luke's Gospel

Chapter 2.

We remember

That the angel

Came to the shepherd

And look what he says

In verse 10.

But the angel

Said to them

Do not be afraid

I bring you

Good news

That will cause

Great

Joy

For

All the people

Today

In the town of David

A Saviour

Has been born to you

He is the Messiah

The Lord

Lord

You see

This is a blessing

For all people

As they come to faith

And turn to trust

In Jesus Christ

Now just as Sarah

Look forward

In faith

To the promised son

Jesus Christ

So we

Now look back

To Jesus

Who has come

The Saviour

Of the world

And that changes

Everything

For us

The apostle Peter

Understood this

He writes

Follow on screen

Though

You have not

Seen him

It's speaking of Jesus

Though we have not

Seen him

We love him

And even though

You do not see him

Now

You believe in him

And we are filled

With an inexpressible

And glorious joy

For you are receiving

The end result

Of your faith

The salvation

Of your souls

That's

Why

We sing

That's why

Ralph led us

With joyful praise

With all of creation

Singing

Of God's

Great salvation

Plan

You see

We cannot help

But express

Our delight

And happiness

In all that

God has given

To us in Christ

That everything

Has been changed

And our eternal

Destiny is secure

And we have hope

Today

And life

To come

You see

Faith

In the promise

Of God

Leads to

Uncontainable

Joy

Well second

Unbelief

Unbelief

In God's

Promise

Leads to

Unimaginable

Misery

Let's go back

To

Genesis

Genesis 21 · chapter mention

Chapter 21

Unbelief

In God's

Promise

Leads to

Unimaginable

Misery

The arrival

Of baby

Isaac

Caused

Quite an

Upheaval

Didn't it

Not everyone

Was celebrating

And sharing

In the joy

Some

Mocked

Look at

Verse 8

The child

The child

The child

Grew

And was

Weaned

And on

The day

Isaac

Was weaned

Abraham

Held a

Great feast

There was

There was a

Party

A celebration

But Sarah

Saw that the

Son whom

Hagar the

Egyptian

Had born to

Abraham

Was mocking

We of course

Know this

Son to be

Ishmael

And he isn't

Very excited

Is he

About the

Arrival of

Isaac

Ishmael

Is laughing

For sure

But he's

Not laughing

With Sarah

In joy

He's laughing

At Isaac

He's

Ridiculing

Him

He's

Despising

Him

He's

Verse 9

Mocking

Him

While others

Are rejoicing

At God's

Promised

Blessing

Ishmael

Is mocking

The promised

Blessing

You see

To mock

And laugh

At Isaac

Is actually

To mock

And laugh

At God

And his

Plan of

Redemption

Ishmael

At this

Stage is

About 16

Years of

Age

And should

Know better

And he

Sees Isaac

As a

Threat

Blessing

Well I'm

Going to

Find my

Own

Blessing

I don't

Need promises

From God

Or anybody

Else

I'll find

My own

Way through

Life

Thank you

Very much

Rather

Rather than

Faith

In God

He was

Opting

For faith

In himself

And to

Reject

The promises

Of God

To mock

God

To laugh

At God

Means

It has

Serious

Consequences

For mocking

God

Will mean

That you are

Cut off

From God

Look at

Verse 9

But Sarah

Saw that

The son

Whom Hagar

The Egyptian

Had born

To Abraham

Was mocking

And she

Said to

Abraham

Get rid

Of that

Slave woman

And her

Son

For that

Woman's

Son

Will never

Share

In the

Inheritance

With my

Son Isaac

He's not

Going to

Share in

That blessing

Now that

Might sound

Really harsh

To us

But Sarah

Is only

Acting

As Ishmael

Had already

Decided

By mocking

Isaac

Ishmael

Was placing

Himself

Outside of

God's

Promised

Blessing

We know

This because

God affirmed

Sarah's

Request

Look at

Verse 11

The matter

Distressed

Abraham

Greatly

Because it

Concerned

His son

But God

Said to

Abraham

Do not

Be so

Distressed

About the

Boy and

Your slave

Woman

Listen

To whatever

Sarah

Tells you

Because it

Is through

Isaac that

The offspring

Will be

Reckoned

The blessings

Are going to

Come through

Isaac's line

But sadly

Ishmael

Didn't want

Anything to

Do with

It

And the

Consequences

Of unbelief

Meant

Being cut

Off

From the

Blessings

Of God

Verse 14

So early

The next

Morning

Abraham

Took some

Food

And a

Skin

A container

Of water

And gave

Them to

Hagar

He sent

Them on

Her shoulders

And then

Sent her

Off with

The boy

She went

On her

Way and

Wandered

In the

Desert

In the

Desert of

I think

It's one

Of the

Most

Saddest

Verses

You see

Turning

Your back

On the

Promises

Of God

Is to

Be cut

Off

From the

Blessings

Of God

And rather

Than bring

Uncontainable

Joy

It leads

To

Unimaginable

Misery

Look at

The effects

Of turning

Away from

God's

Promise

They were

Immediate

And harsh

From a

Life of

Blessing

They now

Enter into

A life

Of curse

From a

Home where

There was

Plenty

Ishmael

Ends up

In a

Desert

That's

Empty

Verse 15

When the

Water in

The skin

Was gone

She put

The boy

Under one

Of the

Bushes

Then she

Went off

And sat

Down

About a

Bow shot

Away

For she

Thought

I cannot

Watch the

Boy

I can't

Look at

See my

Child

Die

And she

Sat there

And she

Began to

Sob

Can you

See

The misery

Of what

Happens when

We turn

Our backs

On God

Instead of

Life

There is

Death

Instead of

Blessing

There is

Curse

Instead of

Uncontainable

Joy

Unimaginable

Misery

You see

The promises

Of God

Are not

A small

Thing

They are

A serious

Thing

And it

Demands

A response

From each

One of

Us

Do we

Like Sarah

Welcome

And believe

The promise

Or like

Ishmael

Reject

The promise

It's a

Question

We are

All confronted

With

With the

Arrival

Of another

Baby

The

Fulfillment

Of all

God's

Promises

Jesus

Christ

The

Son

Of God

He

Confronts

Us

What

Are we

Going

To do

With him

To listen

To him

To trust

Him

Will be

Life

To ignore

Him

And to reject

Him

Will be

Death

And as we

Respond in

Faith to

God's promises

We are welcomed

Into his

Family

We receive

The gift

Of life

The forgiveness

Of sins

Fullness

And peace

We get to

Enjoy all

His blessings

Now and for

All eternity

But yet

To laugh

And mock

And turn

Our back

On Jesus

Is to be

Cut off

Yes we may

Find pleasure

And happiness

For a time

But it's

Never going

To last

It leaves

Us empty

Unfulfilled

Never satisfied

We'll face

An eternity

Separated

From God

Without

Hope

And without

Joy

Even as

Believers

We can be

Tempted to

Turn away

From Jesus

Can't we

Like Ishmael

We can put

Our trust

In self

And go

It alone

Pursuing

Life

Pursuing

Happiness

And joy

In things

And people

And created

Things

Instead of

The creator

God

Know the

Message

Is turned

Back

Trust

Jesus

He is the

Source of

All life

Infinite

Peace

And eternal

Rest

His word

Will satisfy

You

His presence

Will fulfill

You

Faith

In God's

Promise

Leads to

Uncontainable

Joy

But unbelief

Will lead to

Unimaginable

Misery

God's desire

Is that we

Would all

Share

In his

Joy

So what

Hope is

There

Well

Third

Hope in

God's

Promise

Leads to

Unbelievable

Mercy

Hope in

The promise

Leads to

Unbelievable

Mercy

Remember

We left

Ishmael

Outside of

The promise

Cut off

From the

Blessing

Of God

In distress

Her mother

His mother

Laid her

Dying son

Under a

Bush

Let's pick

It up

In verse

16

Then she

Went off

And sat

Down about

A bow

Shot away

For she

Thought

I cannot

Watch the

Boy die

I cannot

Bear it

And as

She sat

There she

Began to

Sob

Their lives

Are hopeless

And helpless

No chance

In the

Searing heat

No water

To revive

But as

Death

Begins

To close

In

We see

The

Unbelievable

Mercy

Of God

Look at

How God

Pursues

The wanderer

There's three

Things as we

Close to

Consider

First

God

Hears

Our cry

Look at

Verse 17

God

God heard

The boy

Crying

And the

Angel of

God

Called to

Hagar

From heaven

And said

To her

What's

The matter

Hagar

Do not

Be afraid

God has

Heard the

Boy crying

As he

Lies

There

Remember

This is

Ishmael

Who had

Mocked

God

Who had

Turned away

From the

Gift of

Blessing

But yet

God still

Hears his

Cry

It's as if

God is

Saying

Ishmael

You may be

Finished with

Me

But I'm

Not finished

With you

Ishmael

You may have

Put yourself

Outside of

God

But God

Is never

Outside of

Ishmael

Now we

May know

People who

Placed

Themselves

Outside of

God

Who want

Nothing to

Do with

Him

Maybe it's

One of

Your

Children

Maybe a

Spouse

Maybe a

Friend

But no

One is

Ever

Outside

The reach

Of God

It seems

That there

Is an

Offer

Of

Life

You see

God

Hears our

Cry

And God

Opens

Our

Eyes

Of course

Hearing the

Cry is no

Good unless

Something is

Done to

Relieve that

Cry

So verse

19

God

Hears

Now verse

19

God

Opened

Hagar's

Eyes

And she

Saw a

Well of

Water

So she

Went and

Filled the

Skin with

Water

And gave

The boy

A drink

It seems

Hagar was

In so

Much distress

That she

Doesn't see

The well

It's concealed

From her

So God

Intervenes

And opens

Her eyes

To see

That there

Is water

And the boy

Can drink

And as he

Drinks

He lives

And isn't

That what

God

Must do

For those

Who do

Not

Believe

He must

Open our

Eyes

So that

We see

In him

Life

In all

Its fullness

You remember

You remember

What John

Records for

Us in

John's

Gospel

There's

Another

Woman

At another

Well

And she's

Distressed

And Jesus

Comes to her

And says

Whoever

Drinks

The water

I give

Them

Will

Never

Thirst

Indeed

The water

I give

Them

Will become

In them

A spring

Of water

Welling up

To eternal

Life

I have

Come

Says

Jesus

To give

Life

In all

Its fullness

Can you

See where

Life is

So God

Hears

Us

God

Opens

Our eyes

And third

God is

With us

Look at

Verse

20

God

Was

With

The boy

As he

Grew up

He lived

In the

Desert

And became

An archer

And while he

Was living

In the

Desert

Of Paran

His mother

Got a

Wife

For him

From Egypt

Now going

To Egypt

Is never

A good

Move

In fact

Throughout

Genesis

Anytime we

Read of

Somebody

Going to

Egypt

It's always

A move

Away from

God

And that's

Where Ishmael

Is turned

But yet

The extraordinary

Thing is

God didn't

Abandon

Him

Look at

Verse 20

God was

With

The boy

As he

Grew up

It seems

That God

Doesn't give

Up so

Easily

Now I'm

Not trying

To say

All ended

Well for

Ishmael

It doesn't

If we

Follow the

Story

But what

I want

To see

Here is

The

Unbelievable

Mercy

Of God

Who doesn't

Give up

On wanderers

Like Ishmael

And if

Anybody

Rejects

God

It's

Never

Going to

Be

Because

God

Wasn't

Bothered

God

No God

Is

God is

Kind

God's

Mercy

Is

Long

Suffering

His

Countless

Interventions

In the lives

Of those who do

Not believe

And those who do

Believe

Every single

Day

His

Daily grace

And provision

His

Steadfast

Care

He loves

His

Creation

So what does

That mean

For us

Well I think

It encourages

Me not to

Be hopeless

When it

Comes to

People who

Express

Unbelief

Because

God is

Merciful

And kind

The promises

Of God

Are held

Out to

Them too

That means

I can cry

Out in

Prayer

For my

Friends

I know

That when

I cry

On their

Behalf

God

Who made

The world

Hears

He hears

What I have

To say

And I

Can ask

God to

Open the

Eyes of

Those who

Are blind

To Jesus

So that

They may

Know life

And have

Life in

All its

Fullness

Because I

Can't open

The eyes

Of anyone

But God

Can

And I

Can trust

That God

Is with

Those who

Turn away

And make

Sinful

Choices

And go

Further away

And I

Know that

The creator

God

Is always

Within striking

Distance

He is with

Them all

God is

Unbelievably

Merciful

You see

It doesn't

Matter

Who we

Are

Where we

Come from

Or what

We've done

There is

Hope

In the

Promises

Of God

So there

We have

It

The arrival

Of God's

Promised

Son

Teaches

Us that

Faith in

The promises

Of God

Leads to

Uncontainable

Joy

Unbelief in

The promises

Of God

Leads to

Unimaginable

Misery

But yet

There's

Hope in

The promises

Of God

Because it

Leads to

Unbelievable

Mercy

Let's

Pray

In the

Quietness

Maybe

Maybe

Maybe you

Just want

To pray

For someone

Right now

Maybe

It is

One of

Your

Children

Your

Spouse

A

Friend

Maybe

You need

To pray

Yourself

Because you

Know you

Are not

Walking

In

Faith

You

Who Have

Not

Trusted

In

Jesus

Pray

Because God

Hears

Pray

Because God

Opens

Eyes

Pray

Because God

Is with us

Thank you

Lord for

Hearing our

Hearts

Cry

Thank you for

Opening our

Eyes to

Jesus

Thank you

That you

Are with

Us

And you

Have filled

Us

With joy

In Christ

Thank you

Amen

What we

Want to

Sing

Sarah

Laughed

Sarah

Laughed

With joy

At delight

In the

Promises

Of God

And we

Can laugh

With her

As we

Sing

Songs

Of joy

All my

Days of

Gladness

I only

Oh

Start

Again

All my

Days I

Will sing

This song

Of gladness

Give my

Praise to

The fountain

Of delight

For in

My helplessness

You heard

My cry

And waves

Of mercy

Poured down

On my

Life

How it

Reflects

What we

Have just

Looked at

Together

Let's stand

Together as

We sing

To

Help

Always

Chances

What caso

Is

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