Life With or Without God

What does God want to say to us in this new year?

Well here we are. It's a brand new year. We've come to hear God speak. So what does God want to say to us?

Perhaps you've been feeling restless inside, anxious and unsettled. Perhaps status quo in your life has become unacceptable and intolerable. Maybe you want a new normal, because the old normal is broken. Maybe you've been saying to yourself, "Is this really what God has in mind for me? Is this as good as it gets?" Maybe you're saying, "Enough is enough!"

This morning we consider the story of Abram-- who only later became Abraham. Next week will be the story of Joseph, and then in the following weeks we will hear about Moses, the Passover, and the exodus from Egypt. We're calling this new series "The Great Escape: An Epic Tale of Redemption." We're going to see how God provides a way through-- not always around, but through some of our greatest challenges and through our messiest circumstances.

Here is what we're going to learn. God doesn't usually snatch us from the messes we make. He doesn't usually give us an eject switch, or a Staples easy button. For example, consider the sin in your life. The wages of sin, the consequence for all our rebellion, is death. Can we imagine anything more terrifying or more grim than death? No.

But what does God do in the face of death? Does God whisk us away before we die? Did he whisk his only Son Jesus Christ away before he died on that cross? No. Christ died and was buried. If this is true, how does God rescue us? He provides a way for us to enter eternal life, through death, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Were we to face death alone, it would be terrifying. We'd be crushed. But we don't face it alone, nor do we bypass it. Instead, God walks us through death into eternal life-- as we trust him. This is why Jesus said in John 11:25 (NIV), "I am the resurrection and the life..." And it is why he asks Lazarus's sister In John 11:25-26 (NIV), "He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" He made these statements all before raising Lazarus from the grave.

I am sure there are some pretty big things going on in your life. Do you believe God will provide a way through those things? We have these scriptures, these epic tales of escape, to show us how God provides a way through, a way out.

Are you hindered by your past?

Abram was from Ur. That was his home. That is where his father Terah raised him and his two other brothers. How would you like to have been from Ur? That's Ur pronounced as in "urrrr". You know, that feeling you get knowing you're stuck in a situation or circumstance in life. You can't even say Ur without snarling your mouth or contorting your face.

Abram's dad was Terah. His name was associated with one of the ancient moon gods that was worshiped in ancient Mesopotamia. Joshua 24:2 describes Terah as an idolatrous man who lived in a land filled with idolatry. Now why does that matter? Here is a man who has been taught wrong things about God his entire life. He doesn't even know what to believe about God.

Abram marries a beautiful woman named Sarai. Everyone she meets wants to marry her, but we'll get to that later. No matter how hard they try, Abram and Sarai aren't able to have children. This was a devastating crisis for them. It was a crisis of identity. A crisis of fear. It cast a dark shadow over their marriage.

A little while later, tragedy strikes Abram's family. His brother Haran dies, leaving behind a son and daughter. The son, whose name is Lot, becomes the responsibility of Abram and Sarai. The daughter, whose name is Milcah, marries Abram's brother Nahor, who is her uncle. It's messed up, but that is what happens. The Bible doesn't approve of such incest. It just chronicles that it happened. In Genesis 20:12 we also discover that Sarai is Abram's half-sister.

So Abram's story is not exactly your story. That's OK. Maybe your story is worse. Maybe it is better. Every one of us has darkness in our family somewhere. We all have tragedies, wounds, loss, disappointment, ungodly attitudes and values, brokenness, and sexual immorality in our families. Again, the Bible doesn't hide these things, nor does it always provide moral commentary on what gave rise to this choice over that choice. Sometimes the choices people make defy any explanation.

Are you settling for less?

In Genesis 11:31 Terah moves the whole family from Ur and settles in Haran. They intended to go all the way to Canaan, but they settled in Haran, somewhere half way between Ur and Canaan. This is what often happens to us. We sense God's call to make a change. But instead of going all the way, we go half way. We settle somewhere between the past that's haunting us and the future that seems so daunting.

I heard a pastor once say, "Partial obedience is disobedience." We see this with Abram. God sets his very best before us, but we settle for something less. God puts it on our heart to go all the way to Canaan, but we settle for Haran. We're always choosing something less than all God wants for us. Yet God remains firm in his desire for us.

In Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV) the Lord says to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Are you making excuses?

It wasn't until his father died that Abram would be open to going to Canaan. Again, this is how it is with us. We have so many excuses. We say things like, "God, I'll go the distance if..." "God, I'll go the distance when..." In Jesus' day his disciples would say things like, "Jesus, we'd follow you but, but we have this personal thing, this business thing, this social obligation..."

In Genesis 12 Abram finally takes his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all his possessions, the people he acquired in Haran, and arrives in Canaan. In Canaan, the Lord appears to Abram. See Genesis 12:7. Abram builds altars, makes sacrifices, and begins to call on the name of the Lord. See Genesis 12:8. He's having a time of spiritual awakening! In Genesis 12:7 (NIV) the Lord reaffirms his promise to Abram. "To your offspring I will give this land." For perhaps the first time in his life, Abram is coming alive spiritually. He's coming to know the one true God, the creator. He's learning to trust in what God has promised and is learning to walk in God's ways. Excuses do little more than defer the future God has for us.

Are you trusting God?

If you follow Abram's story in Genesis 12 you'll see that as soon as he arrives in Canaan, a famine strikes. Instead of trusting God, he leaves for Egypt! And in Egypt, Abram encounters Pharaoh, and fears for his life. But again, instead of trusting God, Abram hatches this brilliant plan. He persuades his wife Sarai to pretend to be his sister. When Pharaoh saw how beautiful she was, he would take her as his wife and let her live, instead of killing them both.

Well, Pharaoh does fall in love with Sarai. He definitely takes her as his wife. Pharaoh treats Abram kindly on her account, giving Abram sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels-- the whole nine yards! So in the short-term, Abram's plan seems successful. They aren't hungry. They become wealthy. They're surviving. But none of this is God's plan for Abram and Sarai. What's more, the Lord inflicts Pharaoh's entire household with serious disease and suffering, so that it would be obvious to Pharaoh that Sarai was indeed Abram's wife.

Can you believe how messy things are getting? We're not even a chapter into Abram's story and he's half a world removed from where God wants him to be. What is going on here?

Instead of trusting God, Abram is shooting from the hip. He's making snap judgments. We don't have time to go through Abram's whole story this morning. Abram finds himself in a quarrel with his nephew Lot over land. He finds himself in the middle of a war between five kings and four kings, and having to rescue his nephew Lot.

Do you ever get the sense that life is getting harder and harder? That's what happens when we stop trusting in God. Chaos begets chaos. Crisis begets crisis. Instead of our path becoming smoother and clearer, it becomes more treacherous and dark. Disease. Quarrels. Animosities. Wars. Violence. Suffering. Pain. Let me ask you, how hard does your path need to become before you turn back to God?

Who and what is your focus?

In Genesis 15:1 (NIV) God speaks to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am you shield, your very great reward." In Genesis 15:5 (NIV) the Lord says, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be." And he said in Genesis 15:7 (NIV), "I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."

Do you see what God is doing here? First he is telling Abram, "Focus on who I am! I have been with you from Ur. I am your shield. I am your great reward. Your reward isn't something you eat, or own, or get. It's me! I'm your creator!!"

God is also telling Abram, "Focus on what I've promised. You will possess the land. You will have a child. You will grow into a mighty nation. Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars. I will, I will, I will. Trust in who I am and in my holy word!"

Now notice what Abram is doing. Instead of focusing on who God is and on what God's promised, Abram says in Genesis 15:2-3 (NIV), "O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." And in Genesis 15:8 (NIV) Abram says, "O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it (the promised land?"

I know what you're promising God, but it what God wants for you?

Are you laughing at God?

Later in Genesis 16 Abram has child with Hagar, one of the servants in his household. She gives birth to Ishmael. A bitter rivalry develops between Sarai and Hagar, which leads to violence and abuse. This leads to Hagar running away, which later on in Genesis 21 leads to Hagar and Ishmael almost dying in the desert.

In the meantime, God renames Abram to be called Abraham and he renames Sarai to become Sarah.

In Genesis 17:17 (NIV) Abraham falls face down in laughter at the thought of having a child. "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety? If only Ishmael might live under your blessing."

In Genesis 18:12 (NIV) Sarah laughed at the thought of having a baby. "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"

In spite of Abraham's laughter, in spite of Abraham's shortsightedness, God keeps bringing Abraham back to two things. "This is who I am. This is what I have said."

In Genesis 17:1-8 (NIV) the Bible tells us, "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.' Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 'As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your
descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.' "

Of course the ultimate test for Abraham comes in Genesis 22 after the birth of Isaac. And why was he named Isaac? The name Isaac means, "he laughs." In Genesis 21:6-7 (NIV) Sarah says, " 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.' And she added, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.' "

In Genesis 22:2 (NIV) God tests Abraham. "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

After all Abraham and Sarah have been through to have Isaac, God asks them to sacrifice their one and only son. As outrageous as this sounds, it's even more outrageous how a father would accommodate such a request. In Genesis 22 Abraham loads up his son and heads off to sacrifice his one and only son. In Abraham's mind, there was no other way. None of this was making any sense. In the book "God Delusion", atheist Hitchens cites this account as proof that the Old Testament God is maniacal and bloodthirsty. He asks what kind of God would demand that a father sacrifice his one and only son?

But as Abraham lifts his hand to take his son's life, God intervenes and provides another way. He provides the perfect sacrifice, a ram, to enable this father to spare his one and only son. He who would not spare his son, but allowed his one and only son to later die for our sins, spared Abraham grief upon grief, and sorrow upon sorrow. That's not a maniacal, bloodthirsty God. That's a gracious and compassionate God.

In everything that happens in life, God asks us to trust in who he is, and in what he has promised. Even when it doesn't make sense. Even when defiance and disobedience seem like the only way forward. God asks us trust him and to obey him. No more being hindered by the past, no settling for less, no excuses, and no more laughing at God.