Entire

I'm sorry, I'm waiting. You ready?

Thank you.

Good morning, Rhema.

That's so cool.

I was standing here waiting to see who knew, okay, it's time to start.

I'm going to go ahead and stand up.

And all of y'all did it.

That's so awesome.

So praise the Lord, everybody.

Woo.

Thank you for being here with us.

Let's worship the Lord.

Your love is devoted like a ring of solid gold, like a vow that is tested, like a covenant of gold.

And your love is enduring through the winter rain.

Thank you.

You're making me like you, clothing me in white, bringing beauty for ashes, for you will have your bride, free from all her gifts, and rid of all her shame, and all by her true name.

And that's why I sing your praise, well, ever be on my list, ever be on my list, your praise, well, ever be on my list, ever be on my list, ever be on my list.

You will be praised, you will be praised, you will be praised, you will be praised, with angels and saints we sing worthy, are you Lord?

You will be praised, you will be praised, with angels and saints we sing worthy, are you Lord?

And that's why I sing your praise, well, ever be on my list.

Ever be on my lips, ever be on my lips, your praise will ever be on my lips.

Ever be on my list, your praise will ever be on my list, ever be on my list.

There are some new faces here, some visitors.

If you are a visitor here, there are visitor cards in the front of your seats.

Please fill those out and drop them in one of the churches on either side or in the back of the church.

That's also where we accept our tithes and offerings.

So we do appreciate all of that.

It is definitely good to see everyone here this morning, even in the rain.

A couple of announcements.

May 18th, there's going to be a painting day from 9 to 1.

That's not this Saturday, but the following Saturday, working on painting the hallway and the bathrooms here behind the sanctuary.

Paint will be supplied.

Please bring your own brush and rollers to help out a little bit there.

If you have any questions, please see Taylor.

May 19th, the day after on Sunday, there's a graduation celebration.

Right now we currently have three families.

So if you have somebody that is graduating from high school or college, either in your family or if you are and want to be part of that celebration,

please contact the church office as well.

I think we've got one right there.

And then also last Sunday we kicked off the new Explore Children's Ministry.

And it was a good success.

So we're going to obviously continue that.

So kids ministry down in the refuge as we explore God's word.

Also, as we are coming into worship, here is a little biblical truth here.

Psalm 107, 19 to 22.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

He sent forth his word and healed them.

He rescued them from the grave.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for man.

Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell his works with songs of joy.

Amen.

So obviously that's not them.

That's us.

So we're here.

We're here.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where strings of grace flow deep and wide.

We're on the line.

I've never died.

Because like a flood is falling down.

At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life.

I belong to you, I belong to you

Where your love went red

In my sin was white

I own you, I own you

Jesus

I own you, I belong to you

For all the love I've ever found Is like a flood I'm slowing down At the cross, at the cross I surrender my life I'm in awe of you I'm in awe of you

I belong to you Where your love went red In my sin was white I own you I own you At the cross, at the cross I surrender my life I own you I own you

Where your love red, red

And my sin washed white

I owe all to you

Cause here my hope is found

Here on holy ground

Here I bow

Here arms open wide

Here he saved my life

Here I bow

At the cross and the cross

Surrender my life

I'm in all of you

Where your love red, red

And my sin washed white

I owe all to you

Jesus

Cause here my hope is found

Here on holy ground

Here I bow down

Here who's open wide

Here you save my life

Here I bow down

Here my hope is found

Here on holy ground

Here I bow down

Here my hope is found

Here on holy ground

Here I bow down

Here I bow, here I'm sloping wide, here you save my life, here I bow, here I bow, after the cross, after the cross, I surrender my life, I owe you, I owe you.

Where your love ran, where my singing was right, I owe you, I owe you, Jesus.

Oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus.

Oh Jesus.

Oh

In the name of Jesus

I want to know you love

Like I know a friend

I want to know you love

Like I know a friend

I want to know you love

Like I know a friend

I want to know you love

So I'll lay you down

On my religion

And I'm laying down

I want to know you love

I'm laying down

On my religion

I'm laying down

I want to know you love

So I'll lay you down

On my religion

So I'm laying down

I want to know you love

And I used to think

That I could box you in

But I'm laying down

I want to know you love

I used to think

That I could box you in

But I'm laying down

I want to know you love

Lord, I've been told

To be ashamed

Lord, I've been told

I'm not good enough

But you're here with me

I reach out in you

Find me in the dust

You say no amount of untruth

Can separate us

Lift your hands

Come on

Lord, I reach out in you Can separate us Lift your hands Come on, I reach out in you Find me in the dust A single amount of untruth Can separate us Lift your hands

I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In you Lord I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In you Lord

I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In you Lord I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In you Lord I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In you Lord I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In you Lord I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice In the simple gospel I will rejoice

God bless you.

I will rejoice in the simple gospel.

I will rejoice in you, Lord.

I will rejoice in the simple gospel.

I will rejoice in you, Lord.

In the simple gospel, I will rejoice in you, Lord.

I will rejoice in you, Lord.

You come back with the hand of my hand.

You come back and you call it my victory.

I will rejoice in you, Lord.

One of the things that I wanted to be able to share with you this morning is just some of the great news we get to share on Wednesday nights in our prayer service on Wednesday nights.

And this song, when Teresa was rehearsing it this morning...

...reminded me of just the celebration that we had this past Wednesday. And some of you remember some of the prayers we've had over and for Ms. Pauline here on Sunday, but Wednesdays we've continued to cry out and cry out. And I wanted you to be able to...I know you didn't know I was going to call you up here this morning, so...and I know you just love speaking in front of people, so...

I wanted you to be able to share this testimony and why we need to sing this next song with such praise in our hearts. Praise the Lord, everybody. Amen. Thank you, Lord. I just got so much to be thankful for. And as Wednesday, I was telling everybody the things that I've been going through before I came here. And a lot of things going in, going on with my marriage and my family and losing a grandchild and a great-grand at least. And not only that, after return, being diagnosed with a...

...autoimmune deficiency that involved my liver. And that thing just scared me right then, even though we shouldn't be fearful or afraid anytime we go through anything. But anyhow, I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. Not that I have hepatitis, but it affected my liver.

And that could lead to cancer. And that could lead to cancer and all kinds of things, okay? So I started on prednisone, which caused a lot of bad side effects.

And then they put me on another medication called Emiron, which also include other side effects, hair loss and weight gain and puffy face and irritability.

And God just been working with me about all this. So I went to my doctor on Friday, Thursday or Friday and Wednesday, excuse me.

And he gave me a good report. He had been cutting back on my prednisone a little bit as time goes on.

And my labs have been looking great every time I go back. And I get them done weekly.

You got to draw blood out my arm every week.

And he said, you know, I'm going to cut you back a little more. This time we're going to drop down to two tablets.

And when you come back, he said, I'm going to try to check you in two weeks, two months.

And we'll probably drop down to either one or half a tablet. Hallelujah.

Amen.

And I just thank God for that because, you know, I didn't know what to expect.

I didn't know whether to expect cancer. And that's the first thing come across your mind, cancer, the big C word, you know.

But I know I had to go through a lot of things.

And I said, God, if I ever go through, I'm going through, but I'm taking you with me.

So I'll go through this, but I'm coming out. Hallelujah.

And I thank God for bringing me out with a good report on Wednesday when I saw my doctor.

And I already knew that God had a good report on it.

But I had to wait on him for a verification on that good report, you know.

And I just thank God for all that good news.

And I just had to praise him that night.

And I give him glory.

I give him honor.

But he alone deserves all the glory and honor and praise.

And I gave him a big hallelujah.

And I hallelujah him again today.

But he alone deserves the praise, the honor, and the glory.

He alone deserves all the great hallelujah.

And I thank you today.

I thank you forever.

I ask you to be the Lord of my life.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thank you, Jesus.

Hallelujah.

Glory to God.

Hallelujah.

Thank you, Lord.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Thank you.

Oh, glory.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you.

Something else Ms. Pauline said on Wednesday night.

She said, God don't want me to hold my praise.

And that's so true.

Because he deserves it.

He deserves it.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, God.

Bless you, Jesus.

Thank you, Lord.

You go before I...

All I did was pray. All I did was worship. All I did was bow down. All I did was stay still. Yeah.

And hallelujah. You have saved me. So much better your way. Yeah. Hallelujah. Great. Please defend her. So much better your way. Yeah. Hallelujah. Great. Please defend her. So much better your way.

You know before I do. You know before I do. Well, my heart can't seem to find your truth. Your mercy is the shade I'm living in. You restore my faith and my hope again. All I did was pray.

All I did was worship. All I did was worship. All I did was bow down. All I did was stay still. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. You have saved me. Yes. Light.avy 32. Yeah. Oh, I did was't know. But then I believe in me I made my freedom. Rarely.

Hallelujah. You have saved me. You have saved me. So much better your way. Yeah. Hallelujah.

Yeah. Hallelujah. Great. Things can't ever. So much better your way. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Yeah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

You have saved me

So much better your way

Yes, hallelujah

He's a great defender

So much better your way

Not by my might

But by the power in me

By your name and your grace

Oh God, by your spirit, Lord

When I thought I lost me

You knew where I lived

You reintroduced me to your love

Put up all my pieces

Put me back together

You are the defender of my heart

When I thought I lost me

You knew where I lived

You reintroduced me to your love

And picked up all my pieces

Wow, my spirit, you reintroduced me

So much better Your way Better Your way Your God Hallelujah, great defender So much better Your way Hallelujah, hallelujah You have saved me So much better your way Hallelujah, hallelujah

Your way

Hallelujah

Great

Defender

So much better

Your way

It's so much better

Your way

It's so much better

Your way

It's so much better

Your way

It's so much better

When I let you fix it

It's better your way

God

When I let you take it from my hands

It's better your way

God

When I just lay it at your feet

It's better your way

God

It's better your way

God

Better your way

God

I don't get bitter

I get better

Cause it's better your way

God

I don't get bitter

I get better

It's better your way

God

When I let you fix it

When I let you take it

You can do it better than I can

Lord you do it better than I can

Lord you do it better than we can

Oh

So much better your way

So I let it go

Cause it's better your way

Give it all over to you

It's better your way

Always better your way

I don't understand

But I know

It's better your way

I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel

But it's better your way

My faith is in you God

It's better your way

I know

I know you hold my hand

It's better your way

I know you guide my steps

It's better your way

Oh

Better your way

It's better your way

Thank you Lord

Every problem

Every test

And trial

God

We can give it to you

And we can trust you

With me

back back on us God You love us God You love us In spite of us In spite of our insufficiencies Our insecurities God Where we fall short God You love us anyway Thank you God Thank you God Thank you God Thank you that your name Is a strong tower We run to you And we are safe God Thank you Lord Thank you God Thank you Lord That we can hide Under your shadow Thank you Lord

Thank you, God.

You cover us.

Bless your name.

We love you.

We honor you this morning.

Have your way in this service.

Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Good morning, church.

I want to take a moment of your time before we get started and before we dismiss our children this morning and speak with you real quickly.

Thank you very much.

A lot of the down and out, the homeless, those who are trying to come off the streets, men and women.

And we have been involved with them for quite some time.

One of the ways that we're getting connected and we're trying to get you guys to come on board with us, our home groups are the ones who are going to spearhead this.

But just even if you're not in one of our home groups, you can still be a part of this.

And this is how you can be a part of this.

And plus, this will maybe give you a good chance to say, well, you know what?

I've always wanted to come and investigate some of the home groups.

Amen.

And we've got our home groups posted over there on the info wall.

And you can have contact information as far as their meeting times and when they get together.

The third Friday, the third Friday of every month for the next six months, our church is taking on the responsibility.

On Friday nights, his ministry has a ministry.

They've changed the name to the Friday Night Fellowship.

It used to be Feed a Friend.

We are going to take on the responsibility of feeding those who are the homeless and the down and out that come on that Friday.

And the third Friday of every month, our church, anywhere from 100 to 125, show up every Friday.

I know that's a big undertaking, but I believe we can do this.

The meals are simple.

They do simple things, everything from hot dogs to baked spaghetti to just maybe pizzas, sub sandwiches.

I had a list of breakfast casseroles.

These are some of the simple things that they like.

I want to give you the invitation to come and join us on those third Fridays.

You'll see more of it in our bulletin and more of it in our announcements to come and be a part of that.

4.30 is set up.

We start serving at 5 o'clock.

Usually, we stop winding down at 6 and start cleaning up, and by 6.30, we're out the door, out the door.

Because many of them walk, and we want them to get home before dark.

And I know that with the time changes, we have a little bit more daylight, but it's not always this way.

So some of you might be thinking, well, I don't get off of work until late.

I get that.

I know not everybody can be there.

Not everybody can be there.

But here's how you can help.

We have a big freezer back here in the church, and if you can maybe prepare one of these meals ahead of time, maybe a tray or two of some food, we can freeze it.

Make sure it's already cooked so that all we have to do is thaw it out and maybe heat it.

And we can supply, get a good supply of things built up in there to where we can take from there and be able to supply these folks every third Friday.

This gives you a great opportunity to bring your family down there as well, too, because many of these bring their children, and they walk.

It's now May. Is it crazy? Is it only me, or is it crazy that it's May already? And so, we'll be taking the next six, committed to the next six months, and then we'll reevaluate and see how things went, and if it's a ministry that we would like to continue on and continue on doing and sharing. And so, I really hope that you will prayerfully think about getting involved. If you would like to be a part of that, again, our home groups are going to spearhead this.

We're taking that responsibility, but this is something the whole church can be involved in as well, too. It's an easy do. It's an easy do. And so, get in contact with Brandon Grant over our home groups, or contact Casey at the office as well, too, and she can help you out with some of that as well, too.

And I think that, Tom, I think that covers everything, doesn't it? Okay. So, at this time, we want to dismiss our kindergarten through fifth grade. Is that right, Taylor? That's right.

If you guys will follow Mr. Taylor and Mr. David.

The rest of us, we're going to turn to Genesis chapter 25.

Genesis 25.

Today, we have two nations.

Two nations.

If you're visiting with us, we are a message, I think, 31, in our expository study of the book of Genesis.

It's not a race, but this is a verse-by-verse.

We are doing a series.

It's obviously going to be a long series.

The series is in the beginning, and we are walking through the book of Genesis.

The good news is, is we only got through six verses of chapter 25 last week.

We will do all of chapter 25, and after today, we can stand up and shout, hallelujah, that we are officially halfway there.

Okay?

We will be halfway there to Genesis.

Now, we've taken a few breaks here and there with a short series and celebration of Easter Sunday and Palm Sunday and those kinds of things.

But today is two nations.

Last week, we left off in chapter 6, and the charge was to you guys, because we see Abraham, he's getting his house in order.

Getting his house in order.

There comes a point in time in all of our lives where eventually we're going to have to trust the Lord.

We're going to have to trust the Lord with a lot of things.

But while you are still alive and still able, there are some things that you need to get in order.

Make sure you have a will.

Make sure you know where your resources are going to.

Make sure you're putting your things in order.

This is what Abraham is doing, because he knows if he leaves it out there in limbo land, there's going to be nothing but arguments and arguments and arguments.

And even when there's a will, there's an argument.

Okay?

So he knows all this is taking place.

But Abraham is doling out all of his stuff, and he's putting everything in order, because he knows his time is coming to an end.

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

It's just me.

Okay, good.

I'll just roll my sleeves up.

Okay.

Jill's put her jacket on.

This is my home right here.

I'm burning up in the house.

Jill's turning the air on even more.

Okay.

Somebody take her off of that thermostat immediately, please.

Thank you.

All right.

So let's just jump into this right now and begin in verse 7.

These are the days of years of Abraham's life, 175 years.

Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age and an old man full of years and was gathered to his people.

An old man full of years.

I would say absolutely.

He was an old man full of years.

And so we're given the reason right there.

We're given the reason for Abraham's death.

What's the reason for Abraham's death?

He had too many years.

Too many years.

I mean, it just got to a point.

It was time for him to go.

Now, in your Bible perhaps, in some Bibles, and maybe it's yours, the words of years are italicized.

Maybe yours says that.

Because in the Hebrew, the term of years is not actually in there.

It's implied in the text.

It simply says that Abraham died in a good old age.

Isn't that a terrific way to die?

A good old age.

I'm full.

I'm satisfied.

I'm done.

And by the way, that term can carry more than just a quantity, but a quality.

was gathered to his people i remember many many many many years ago one of my uh all-time heroes

dr j vernon mcgee was still alive and i was at a conference and he was speaking and he was in his

80s way back then he was really feeble he'd been battling cancer but i remember him at the at the

conference i was going to me i remember him making the statement he says i am not the lord is going

to have to retire me i am not going to retire but this is what happened it happens here god retires

abraham he retires him at a good old age uh there's a beautiful proverb proverbs 16 you can look it up

at some point in time it says that the silver haired head is a crown of glory if it is found in the way

of righteousness i love that you see old age is good if it's accompanied by the presence of the

lord the presence of the lord all right verse nine

isaac and ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of machpelah in the field of ephron the son of zoar

the hittite east of mamre the field that abraham purchased from the hittites there abraham was buried

with sarah his wife okay you'll notice that that ishmael and isaac are now together at this funeral

right okay they've been separated for a great number of years because there's been a rift in the family

there's been this division okay hagar was sent away with ishmael and sarah and abraham raised their son

isaac so they haven't seen each other for quite some time until this until the death and this

unfortunately is um often the case even today you have you you can almost guarantee that there'll be

a couple of times that families who have been split apart who have been uh strained relationships

and uh all these issues and they get together either weddings and funerals okay usually more often

funerals than anything else and so it's always good you know as you can to settle these accounts

before these funerals happen so you don't have these weird things take place okay these weird

incidences but they get together because a will has been proclaimed and he's their father and they

bury him in the cave where his their mother is buried as well his his mother is his wife is buried

as well um verse 11 after the death of abraham god blessed his son isaac and isaac settled at

bir la hayaroya you remember that place remember when our study bir la hayaroya that was the place

that hagar named it was out it's a it's a well out in the middle of nowhere okay and she she's conceived

and she she bears a son ishmael and she calls the name of that place bir la hayaroya which means in

hebrew i believe it is the the well of the one who lives and sees but it's interesting that isaac dwells

there now he lives there it's it's in the middle of nowhere but there's water there verse 12 these

are the generations of ishmael abraham's son whom hagar the egyptian sarah's servant bore to abraham

okay um something you you need to know and and you probably already figured it out but i'm just going

to reiterate it already but when it comes to biblical genealogies we're going to read some genealogies

here and i'm going to butcher some names so this is just this is just part of the beauty of me

having to stand here and butcher these names but when you read certain there are certain genealogies

that are included and they pass away quickly and they're not mentioned again while others get

highlighted and others are built upon and amplified and picked up on and that's because the authors

want you to know or the holy spirit is writing the scripture wants you to know the genealogical records

but they're just giving you just enough information here with ishmael and you you'll see with others

to let you know the history or the historicity okay but then they're done they're done they go away

you never read of them again because really there's only one genealogy in the bible and that the bible

is ultimately concerned with and that's the genealogy of jesus christ all right that that's the line

that goes uh that goes to the redeemer to fulfill the promise of genesis 3 all right of the the seed of

the woman that will crush the head of the serpent that's the bible's on that's what the bible is doing

it's on

These are the names of the sons of Ishmael named in the order of their birth

Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael and Kedar, Adbel, Mizbah, Misha, Duma, Mesa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Nafish, and Kedaman. Wow got through that there you go.

These are the sons of Ishmael and their names by their villages and by their encampments 12 princes according to their tribes these are the years of the life of Ishmael 137 years and he breathed his last breath and died and was gathered to his people.

So he he dies at the same age that Abraham and his wife Sarah that Sarah died that Abraham was when Sarah died I just thought about that it's trivial that means nothing but I just thought about that.

So verse 18 we pick it up and it says they settled from Havilah to Sur which is opposite of Egypt in the direction of Assyria I knew you were wondering where that place is now you know.

He settled over against all his kinsmen all right now what we just read the names of the 12 princes and then 13 the big kahuna okay Ishmael that this is the early genealogy the early genealogies of Islam begin right here right here Islam regards Ishmael as a very very important person.

And though not every Muslim on earth can trace his physical genealogy back to Ishmael all Muslims can trace their spiritual heritage back to Ishmael all right.

And and and and that's because 12 times in the Quran his name is mentioned he's mentioned as a very very important person in the Quran it's called the Surah the section of the section of the section of the Quran Surah 1954 tells the reader that Ishmael was a prophet he's a prophet and he is an apostle they use those two words.

And so he's so he's very important and they trace a lot of them trace their lineage back to Ishmael so keep that in mind and if you don't mind I want I want to back the train up just a little bit and share something with you in Genesis 16 let's go back there show you something remind you and it'll be helpful in the rest of the biblical future as well as modern times today.

Genesis 16 verse 8 and he the angel of the Lord said Hagar servant of Sarai where have you come from and where are you going and she said I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai the angel of the Lord said to her return to your mistress and submit to her all right.

Now you see that word submit right there very important very important concept in Islam the word Muslim means one who submits a submitted submissive one and they even believe that Abraham is the one who coined the term Muslim the the submissive ones to the will of God.

And there is in their tradition a sentence that says that Abraham called you Muslims okay and or submitted ones and it's a very very important concept the term when it says submit to her according to Islamic tradition Abraham and Ishmael traveled to Mecca and they built a shrine called the Kaaba all right.

And the Kaaba the holy shrine in Mecca is where people they take the pilgrimage and it's believed that Abraham and Ishmael are buried there in Mecca even though the Bible tells us Abraham is buried where in Hebron okay very clear about that in the cave of Mechpelah in Israel his tomb is still there today but according to to Muslim tradition Abraham and his son Ishmael are buried in Mecca where they found it where they built the Kaaba the shrine.

Now just a note real quick about that shrine the Kaaba it was once a shrine that housed 360 different idols representing 360 different gods all right and they worshipped they were worshipped by various tribes in the Arab regions and Allah was just.

and Islam then was established now it's interesting what is interesting what is called today one of the three great monotheistic religions of the world is actually began as a polytheistic religion and so and as you move on in still in in chapter 16 verse 12 notice what the future of Ishmael he says he will be a wild donkey of a man a wild donkey of a man now that's

literally a wild literally literally literally means a wild donkey and the term wild donkey is it refers to an animal called the Anagar all right and it was not a slur it's actually a compliment and you think well it doesn't sound very good to me you'd be called a wild donkey of a man an Anagar was a fiercely independent animal of the desert and regarded and valued highly in that day and so he's he's going to be a fiercely independent you know that's the

idea idea there but notice again it says that his his hand is against everyone and everyone's hand is against him and so it speaks of the the state of of war the state of being at a feud with other people and it's an interesting prophecy because Muhammad calls himself calls himself he's called the prophet of the sword the prophet of the sword and it traces his lineage back to Ishmael the prophet of the sword and his hand will be against

every man interesting prophecy especially interesting in that Islam itself divides the entire world into two camps two camps only two camps only the first camp is Dar al-Islam the house of Islam okay and those who submit and the second class if you're not a Muslim it's Dar al-harp okay the house of war so you're either a Muslim

or the house of the house of Islam or you're the house of war that's how they divide the whole world and the Quran in the Quran there are 109 verses called war verses one out of every 55 verses in the Quran is about making war feuding against each other either in an inclusive statement or a call to arms this is all this is just interesting in light of the origins of Ishmael and the prediction made about him and and

those who will follow those who will follow him now how's that for a little bit of religion background for you guys so there you go so you get all that for nothing let's keep moving on back to chapter 25 let's jump in in verse 19

these are the generations of Isaac Abraham's son Abraham fathered Isaac and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebecca the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram the sister of Laban the Aramean to be his wife

and Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren now now watch this I love this here's a husband praying for his wife and he's praying for her why because she can't have any children does this sound familiar to you

Isaac is praying for his wife Isaac is praying for his wife Isaac is praying for his wife

what did Isaac learn for he's probably heard the stories Abraham is shared about how Sarah his mom we couldn't have kids for years we prayed he probably heard his dad interceding

to the Lord praying that's something that he learned from his father

from his dad I saw how dad interceded

so so so he's interceding for his wife because they can't have they can't have children

and Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren and the Lord granted his prayer

and Rebecca his wife conceived now children

uh were were always seen as a direct blessing from God Psalm 127 says the children are what

heritage from the Lord right it tells us that the fruit of the womb is his reward

thus in this time to have no children to be barren was was seen you are left out you are cursed

you you were cursed and I'm not getting get into the theology of all that but I want you to understand

here's a husband praying for his wife and I

you

do you want us to plan the family who do you want us to plan the family who do you want us to have in the family or what is your desire for us as as a family you know bringing God into the family playing planning and submitting to that and so verse 21 again Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren and the Lord granted his prayer and Rebecca his wife conceived the children struggle together within her

and she said if she said if this is thus why is this happening to me you know it's tight in there and there's something going on there's something going on but watch this and it says so she went to the Lord and what does she do she prays she prays and the Lord said to her and the Lord said to her verse 22 at the end of verse 22 now now what is she so she prays and not

watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch watch

not kind but you know so she's got this you know this i just wanted a child and two nations but

you know of course it meant the two children would give birth to nations the two nations would be

israel and edom the edomites and the israelites verse 23 and the lord said to her two nations

are in your womb two peoples from within you shall be divided the one shall be stronger than

the other the older shall serve the younger now last week i gave you a really fancy word and we

never got it got into it uh too much we kind of ran out of time but uh the primogeniture the law

of primogeniture and it's a long fancy word and the law of primogeniture is what we see happening here

with isaac but what we see here is it's happening in reverse it's happening in reverse typically the

law of primogeniture that law stated that that in that culture the firstborn son had the privileges

and the rights firstborn son number one he he becomes the head of the family and the authority

of the family falls upon him and he is the new sheik or the new head of the family number two he

gets he gets a double portion of all the goods the oldest son okay the physical inheritance because the

family line is being passed down to him now now that's going to help you when you get to the whole

story about the prophet elijah and the prophet elisha remember elisha is following elijah elijah around

following him around following him around following him around all over the place and finally he comes

up to elijah one day elijah elisha says i want a double portion and basically what he's saying is that i

want to inherit your ministry i want to take your place so to speak and i want to be the one

who inherits this powerful ministry to the to the nation of israel okay but the law of primogeniture

is turned around it's not the firstborn it's the second born which it which is funny because it seems

to be almost a biblical precedence all the way through when you read it you know it wasn't ishmael

it's going to be isaac it's not going to be esau it's going to be jacob okay and and the deliverer

that's going to that that that uh the nation of israel wants they don't know what to think when

moses appears they don't know they don't know what to do with moses and moses says god's called

me to take you out of out of bondage and what about joseph who was the youngest at that time

of all the brothers okay and all this but he's the one that god chose to be the prime minister of

egypt and really basically of the whole known world so it's a beautiful principle here and the

lesson here for us is that we make a grave mistake and you'll see it here when we start judging by

appearances we make a grave mistake okay because esau is the firstborn he's manly it says that he's

hairy they even call him hairy okay they call him hairy he's full of hair and his dad loved it

and his dad loved him okay he was a man in the field he was a hunter all right and and jacob was a mild

man he was a man inside the tent

and he was a man inside the tent

when her days to give birth were completed behold there were twins in her womb and so

these guys would be the first womb mates right there and now

come on they were womb mates

they were womb mates all right here we go verse 25 so the first came out red

all of his body like a hairy cloak and so they named him esau so that's what they call him harry

esau means harry all right verse 26 afterward his brother came out with his hand holding esau's heel

so his name was called jacob isaac was 60 years old when she bore them so jacob is the one

jacob means one who grasps the heel or heel catcher so we have harry and we have heel catcher all right

those are the kids names the original idea of jacob was the idea is that god is at my heels

protecting me or protecting my son but because of the personality of jacob he seems to be the one who

grabs the heel to trip his brother up in life and it came to mean a heel catcher someone who connives

or manipulates or to trip up people and that was his name but also notice that isaac was 60 when she

bore them so how how how long did they have to wait for children 20 years

now you're getting impatient about praying about what these days 20 years i don't know if i'd have

that kind of i hope i'd have that kind of faith 20 years this man of faith this this man who had

the promise of the covenant on him didn't give up continued to petition for his wife continued to

faithfully pray verse 27 when the boys grew up esau was a skillful hunter a man of the field while

jacob was a quiet man dwelling in tents what did we get to cook today mama

nothing wrong with that today most of the best chefs in the world are men right

but at this time that's just kind of weird jacob's hanging out in the tent wants to want just a

little weird 28 isaac loved esau because he ate of his game but rebecca loved jacob

once when jacob was cooking stew esau came from the field and he was exhausted and esau said to jacob

let me eat some of your red stew give me some of that red chili for i am exhausted therefore his

name was called edom his name was called edom which means red and the country of edom will come from

esau the edomites now before we finish this text this will be a setup for next for next time we get

together isaac loved his son esau i mean he was he was a man's man he was hairy he had hair all over

okay he was he here's my kid he's a man he's killing stuff he's hunting he's fishing he's out

he's doing all that man stuff and he favored him and in those days you can see it and and through his

eyes and probably through the eyes of most of the men in many cultures esau was was more attractive

as a male specimen more so than jacob cooking meals in the tent i mean you have to see that so his dad

favored him but another lesson for all of us in this is that there's more than meets the eye

when we start judging on the outward appearance we can miss the boat totally because this is not

god's favored one it's not the one that god's favoring esau was the first born but the second

born as the prophecy said will get the inheritance and be the one that god chooses in fact you know what

is god called throughout all all of scripture he's called the god of abraham the god of isaac and the

god of jacob yeah jacob is is fiercely important okay to the jewish nation one of the patriarchs this is

god's choice god's choice and so we often see this whole law of uh promogeniture or whatever you want

to call it overturn god says no forget it that's the outward i've chosen somewhere someone else i mean

later on we're going to read the story about samuel the prophet

he's

god says no no i've rejected him for the lord does not see as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance but god looks at the

the heart looks at the heart and you'll find this principle all throughout the scriptures and and you

you want to know how good it is we fit in it we fit this principle i mean even look at look at jesus even

jesus in the new testament jesus was called jesus of what nazareth jesus of nazareth and you remember

nathaniel when he heard about that he said what can anything good come from nazareth uh yeah messiah

savior yeah that'd be one thing so again here here's what i want to call the nazareth principle right now that

i see in effect today as soon as as soon as some people say can anything good come from that

town or that region or that person or that or or that little church over there you know it's like

god is waiting to show the world what he can do through that little bitty town through that little

bitty person through that little bitty church you know he's like yep yep go ahead say it can anything

good come from so and so let me show you because i see the heart i see the heart behind it that's the

biblical principle it's like oh yeah okay can anything good come from this place and god says

watch watch this i remember early on early on um that's why when paul talks about when we get to first

first corinthians chapter one paul says for you can you consider your calling brothers not many of you

are wise uh according to the world's standards not many of you are powerful not many of you are noble birth

but god chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise god chose what is weak in the world to

shame the strong god chose what is low and despised in the world even the things that are not to bring

to nothing the things that are so that no human might boast in the presence of god

so here's the principle god the almighty chooses lame instruments to work through

that's good news that's good news that's good news for all of us god does god doesn't always look for

the most educated the most uh the best pedigrees and all those things he looks for broken people

he looks for beat up people

i mean that's good news that is good news for every one of us

can anything good come from that person yep watch this watch what it is and why does he do it why does

god look for broken people but not not just because we are okay and we are we we fit that bill why does

he look for broken beat up people so that no flesh could glory in his presence

no flesh could glory in his presence you know that's like it's like if you took a if you went to a

surgeon today an amazing surgeon he performed or she performed some just amazing surgery they did

they they have all the best techniques and the best equipment but he did or she he or she did this

amazing surgery it would not be anything of great news it would be like that's a that's a pretty cool

thing that's that's amazing that they did that but you take that surgeon you drop them off he or she off

in the amazon jungle in the middle of nowhere with a swiss army knife and a ball of yarn and tell them to

perform that same surgery and if they do it under those conditions that's something huge that's

that's a big deal why because they're confined to meager tools so god chooses meager tools so that he

gets the glory chris you are a meager tool amen amen john you are a meager tool may we be meager amen

why so god gets the glory this is what is happening right here right now and you go and we see

sometimes he's saying well that's just pretty cool no wonder god used them he's so smart or she's so

smart or blah blah blah i just i just don't get it you know can any can i do anything good for the

no that's god's style to use you that's god's style that's why when i first read first corinthians 1

i was like that's my life verse that's me i stink because i know really who i am and the people who

really know me know who i am

let's wrap this up

jacob said sell me your birthright right now

esau said i'm about to die you aren't about to die you're just hungry

oh caitlin when she was growing up she would say dad i'm starving no sweetheart

i've been to third world nations you are not starving

you might be very very hungry but you are not starving

okay i'm about to die

of what use is a birthright to me

i can't eat a birthright

i want something in my mouth

um

caitlin was always a literal kid loved loved her

she was uh probably about three three and a half years old we were traveling across atlanta

rush hour traffic couldn't get back home she's screaming crying we knew she was hungry and jill's

trying to console her i'm driving jill's honey we'll be home a little bit are you hungry are you

you want something in your tummy and she said no i want something in my mouth

i want it in my mouth

that's what he's saying i'm not hungry i want it in my mouth

what good is a stinking birthright i can't chew on that

the birthright beef jerky

i don't want it

of what use is a birthright to me

and jacob said swear to me now

so he swore to him and sold his birthright to jacob

then jacob gave esau bread and lentils stew and he ate and drank and rose and went on his way

thus

esau

despised

his birthright

now we'll explain more in the story a little bit later on

but i want to remind you

where we've been to and what we've come to

we have seen

and what we have seen is that

isaac becomes a type of christ

we get to genesis chapter 22

we see the sacrifice

his obedience to the father

he is being sacrificed

isaac resembles a type of christ

then we saw how the ram

the ram in the bush

was a type of christ

foreshadowing christ

in terms of the substitutionary sacrifice

there has to be something to stand in for that substitutionary sacrifice

you and i needed that substitutionary sacrifice

and so the ram becomes that

we saw

when we looked at the life of rebecca

rebecca comes along

and she has to give an answer

will you go with these men

rebecca comes to be a type of the church

because her response is

what the church's response should be

and that is

a faithful church says

i will go

so rebecca becomes a type of the church

and now we look at this

and in genesis chapter 3

started the whole fall

of the serpent

when the serpent said

did god

did god actually say

and adam and eve

at that point

effectively

destroyed

their birthright

destroyed their birthright

by eating of the only tree's fruit

that was forbidden to them

the only one

and now

here

esau

despised

his birthright

and this is such a strong statement

because what it's telling us

is that esau

cared so little

for what was to have been

by all rights

his appointed

covenantal role

he's the firstborn

he should have

he should have owned it

that was his

and neither looking

looking uh

backward to abraham

or even to his future descendants

he did not

you know

did he even care enough

for his birthright

not to

not to give it away

for a bowl of stew

gives it away

for a bowl of stew

and one of the things

a passage like this

uh

points us to

in the scripture

is not just what esau did

but now esau

having done this

now we see

what we have done

and you say

well you know what

there's never been a moment

that i've exchanged

my birthright in christ

for a bowl of stew

and that's the craziest thing

i've ever imagined

the forfeiting

of the role

of the firstborn

i'm born again in christ

and the the future

uh the to forfeit

in our role

in covenantal history

that's something

that i would never do

well it's something

that in adam

we did

but we have all

sinned

we find ourselves at some point every single one of us trades a birthright for a bowl of stew

that moment of pleasure that moment of this that moment of you fill in the blank you could probably do it as well as i can

we trade it at birthright it that birthright that's great but it's not going to satisfy me in the moment

i can't collect on it right now that's a future birthright i want something now i want it immediately

now i want it now and we got to come to terms with the language here that's used for esau's exchange

because the language is true of us that we have found ourselves at some point we have

despised heartbreaking we have despised our birthright and that's what it is when we walk away from the

things of the lord and we choose the world over the spirit

we despise the birthright the promises that god has spoken over you the covenantal promises that god

says you have

you know parents man you learn this all too often how just how quickly this can happen

you know it's crazy and you realize how quickly someone will give away that birthright really

really sweetheart that's your choice that's what you decided to do that's the path you wanted to take

where does it you know where'd that disconnect take place you start thinking you know because

the things that are so attractive and so urgent are so attractive and so urgent

and i gotta have it now if sin wasn't so attractive and so urgent it'd be easy to stay away from it amen

if sin didn't make you feel good you wouldn't be drawn to it would you

come on people joe wake them up for me yes yes and so we we you know we've seen it in our kids you

know and it doesn't it's not over then because then then they get to be young adults and they

continue to give away their birthright for a bowl of soup

esau becomes a picture we talked about how what everything else foreshadows and becomes a picture

of esau becomes a picture of fallen humanity esau becomes a picture of what it means

to despise not only the birthright but the covenant that god is making

so what in the world is jacob a picture of grasping a hole of esau's heel finagling a birthright from a

hungry brother you know what does a jacob look like what is he a picture of well for that we're gonna

have to wait

because there's a there's a lot to the story as you might expect it's an interesting story because

anyone who

who manages to cheat his brother out of a birthright

over a bowl of stew let's just state the obvious he's capable of a lot more

okay let's be really honest all right and the cast of characters are going to continue laban

is coming in rebecca's brother is going to show up and in the story in the story of jacob and in this

story of jacob we're going to discover that here we go tricksters can be tricked

i learned that the hard way in my life in my life i'll testify to that god brought that about my life

bc before christ bs before surrender okay i might have known i might have known who jesus was but i was

i was i wasn't i was bs and i wasn't surrendering that means before surrender okay don't anybody put

out there on facebook okay there you go i wasn't surrendering but i knew how to work it

i knew how to work it i could be jacob all day long i knew the right things to say

i come over to your house on a date i'd win your mom over in a heartbeat

yeah but i wasn't worried about your heart i was looking at your levi's let's be honest come on

i knew what my birthright was

you

but here's the good news

christ lives forever to redeem all that is broken that's why all the genealogies go to painstaking efforts to point you back to jesus christ because there is one there is one who had who is worthy to pay the price there is one who has paid the price

there is one who has resurrected from the dead and lives forever to intercede for you and for me hallelujah and his name is jesus yeshua yeshua that's the good news that's the good news

and so we will continue in our story and we will ponder the patriarchs abraham

isaac and the finagler come on up worship team

listen please hear me on this as we close out this morning

i am not trying to make a light of anything when i throw out examples

because there is a there is a seriousness

to the bowls of soup we decide that we're going to partake of

there is an accountability that comes with that

there's an accountability that comes with that

and for many of you young people you think well you know what my mom and dad they sold wild oats

they turned out okay i need to have my time to sow wild oats i'll be okay when i get older then i'll give my life when i do that then i will get serious about

this whole church thing god doesn't want you to get serious about church

he wants you to get serious about a relationship with jesus

and then when you're in a relationship with jesus

then you will you will not be tempted by the fragrance of the world

you will be tempted by you will not be tempted by that bowl of soup

it will be the aroma of the lord that will draw you

it will be the aroma of the lord the sweetness of the lord that will keep you forever and ever

let's stand let's stand

father i just pray today

those of us who have accepted the lord jesus christ

understand the covenant and promise that comes with that

father we love you today

may we hold fast and hold hard to our birthright

for we have been bought and paid for in price

and we thank you and bless the name that is above every name

for the price that has been paid

god as we as we close today and we sing

may there just be a rejoicing in our lives

this is what pauline was sharing earlier

god i may be going through this but i'm not going through it without you

i will take you with me i will take you with me and how can i do that because i have that birthright

and you will never leave me or forsake me in jesus name in jesus name amen

amen

i will be a state

i will not free

leave the way

i will not free

god i will not free

everything and nothing else

my best

my all

my best

I surrender

Let it go, let it go

Let it go

She gave you everything

Everything in our midst

The promise of my love

You deserve my every grace

My life, love, and my song

I surrender

I surrender all

Oh, I surrender

I surrender all

I give it all to you

I surrender

I surrender all

I give everything

I take everything

I surrender

I surrender all

is nothing less

I give everything

nothing less

forever

Everything

is nothing less

That life is yours

I surrender all

forever

Everything

I surrender

I surrender all

Everything

and nothing

is my best

Oh, and my all

Cause you deserve my every breath

My life, oh, and my song

Yeah, everything is flawless

My best

You deserve more than that That's what I can give You're a worthy father

We don't deserve it, but you give it And we love it for that father We will worship you to the end of our days We will surrender Just thank you for loving us

that much You meet us where we are You won't let us fall You are too powerful For anything else to overcome Just with the whisper of your name Jesus It all goes away

We love you Thank you for loving us We love you Thank you, Father Amen

Thank you, Father Amen

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