Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
This Week: Trust & Obey
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Led by Eric Gintert
Romans 4
- The Jews proclaim Abraham to be the "Father of our Faith" but they don't understand what that faith is.
- It doesn't matter what the majority says or what religious leaders think. It's "what saith the scriptures?"
- Works are worthless. Trusting in the work that God does and the justification of the ungodly makes a person's faith to be counted as righteousness.
- Abraham was counted righteous before he was circumcised. it wasn't the works that made him righteous, it was his faith in God's forgiveness and grace that redeemed him.
- Abraham is not the "father of the Jews" through the works of circumcision, but the father of all who put their faith in God.
- The promise was not written for Abraham alone, but for all of us that we may have our sins imputed by Jesus.
The Faith of Abraham
Genesis 15:1-6
- Abram struggled because God had never blessed him with an heir.
- God promised Abram a son and he believed in faith that it would come to pass.
- This was counted righteousness to him.
Genesis 16:1-6, 11-12, 16
- Abram harkened unto the voice of his wife and sinned.
- His sin was not unbelief, but rather, leaning on his own understanding.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
- He believed that God would bless him with a son, but he had to figure out how it was going to happen, since it seemed like a physical impossibility.
- Hagar fled from Sarai because of her jealously (go figure!) and was told that her son would become a great nation and be a wildman that we now know as the Arab nations.
Through Ishmael we see that the consequences for sin will last many generations. We are still seeing those consequences today.
Genesis 17:1-10, 15-22
- Abram had to wait for 13 more years for God's blessing of a seed.
- When it says that Abraham was perfect, it means that he was blameless and accomplished.
- God counted Abraham as righteous, before He gave the commandment to be circumcised.
- The circumcision was symbolism to what God had already done from Abraham.
- God told Abraham that Sarah would bear a son, that his name would be Isaac, and that it would happen within the next year. Now Abraham must trust and lean not on his own understanding.
Changing Names: A Picture of the Gospel
Abram and Sarai's names were changed after the sin they committed and before the covenant was given.
Abram = exalted father
Abraham = father of a multitude
Sarai = princess
Sarah = noblewoman
Ishmael = God will hear (First the natural)
Isaac = He laughs (Then the spiritual)
Our Exalted Father gave us the first Adam [the natural man] with princess Eve and died to sin. Those who sinned and cried for a Savior [God will hear] became a noblewoman (the bride of Christ / the Church) as the second Adam [the spiritual man, Jesus] was given and our Exalted Father now became a Father of a multitude.
"It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." 1 Corinthians 15:45-46
Because we do not trust and obey, we go throught more darkness and sin. Abraham ad to look to the Light and trust His promise in order to have his name changed.
Prayer Requests
Joel & Melissa F. & family - new job starts Monday
Ed G. - recoup from cancer treatment
Gary & Doug - prostate cancers
Scott - know the Lord
Gary & Doug - prostate cancers
Scott - know the Lord
Bill & Donna L. - health issues
Larry D. - lymphoma diagnosis
Tony D. - has mono
Emily D. father - in hospital with congestive heart failure
Connie G. - dad health problems; dementia
Betty T. - fell at nursing home and hurt back; family issues
Sara, Jordyn, & Melody - Children with cancer
Gintert family - wisdom; business; dentist appt.
Sara N - baby due mid December; pray for home birth and midwife
Ethan G. - tonsils
Caleb G. - sleep through the night
Comments