Episode 3

The Journey of Faith: Covenant and Confidence (North OC)

Dallas Kaauwai, a campus ministry leader, continues the church's 'Journey of Faith' series, focusing on the transformational story of Abram from Genesis 15. Dallas shares insights on Abram's journey, highlighting his struggles and faith as he awaits God's promises. The sermon underscores key themes such as God's fulfillment of our greatest needs, His ability to work with imperfect faith, and His unwavering desire for our redemption. Drawing personal parallels, Dallas emphasizes the importance of placing our confidence in God's perfect promises rather than in our own actions.

00:00 Introduction and Speaker Background

00:16 Series Overview: The Journey of Faith

01:50 Abraham's Story: Context and Background

02:09 Covenant and Confidence: Genesis Chapter 15

04:29 God's Assurance and Abram's Doubts

12:22 Faith and Righteousness: Lessons from Romans

18:54 God's Covenant with Abram

29:24 Conclusion and Final Prayer

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OC Church of Christ

Transcript
Dallas:

All right.

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Good morning, everyone.

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How we doing today?

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All right.

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Well, those that know me and don't

know me, my name is Dallas Kauai.

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I currently serve part time here in the

campus ministry in North Orange County.

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Come up.

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And I'm really honored and very

privileged to be able to speak

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with you guys this morning.

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I'm really excited because we are going

to continue our series in the journey

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of faith and the story of Abraham.

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Right now, he's still Abram.

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So if I say Abram or Abraham, just

know I'm talking about the same person.

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Let's just clarify that right now.

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But, uh, in a few chapters, in a few

weeks, we'll get to Abraham, and so

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then all that will be cleared up.

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Um, but with that, uh, let's

see, do I have my clicker on?

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Yes, I do.

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Let's see, does this thing work?

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Um, so I've been a disciple

for about nine years.

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Actually, I just turned nine

this past, um, Thursday.

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Um, so it's been nine years.

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I was, I got baptized when I

was, uh, uh, fourteen years old.

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Sophomore in high school.

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Man, I had no idea what the world was

waiting for me after that, but it's been a

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great hard fought nine years and I'm still

grateful for the decision I made today.

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So as you can see, there's my dad and

my mom, the ones that baptized me,

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who are actually still here as well.

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Um, and I, here I am, here I am

still serving, still giving, still

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dedicated to doing God's work.

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And so I'm grateful by the

grace of God to be here.

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Um, but like I said, we are continuing

our series called the journey of faith.

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And you know, obviously, this is

week three, and honestly, I'm glad to

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be preaching today, because I don't

know how Marcel could have gotten

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up here after USC's game last night.

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I had to, I'm sorry, I had

to let the people know.

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You know, we're talking about going on a

journey of faith when USC's giving Marcel

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a reason to lose his faith in this way.

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So, but hopefully we'll turn it

around, it's one bad game, one bad

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call at the end, you know, that game.

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But you know, we're reading about the

story of Abraham and Abram, like I

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said, and his ups and his downs and

his faith and the victories and the

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failures that we really want to focus

how God really worked through them.

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Obviously, Abraham is a great

man of faith and he's the father

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of our faith, but ultimately it

wouldn't be possible without God.

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Amen.

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And so while we're turning over the

title of my lesson today actually is

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going to be covenant and confidence.

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Alright, Covenant and Confidence.

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And today we're going to

be in Genesis Chapter 15.

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Alright, Genesis Chapter 15.

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And so, uh, while we're, while you

guys are turning over there, if

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you want to check your Bibles, feel

free, or you can look at the screen.

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It's great.

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Let's give you some context.

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So, last week, Daniel preached in

Chapter 13, talking about Abraham and

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Lot going their separate ways, right?

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Being able to, Abraham, uh, or Abram,

sorry, this is why I clarified in the

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beginning, this is a disclaimer, right?

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So Abram and Lot have to split up because

their, um, their abundance and goods

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and resources has been overwhelming to

the point where the capacity to spit it

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all in one place was becoming too much.

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So Abram defers.

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Lot says, Hey, you pick one, you

pick a land, I'll take the other one.

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So Lot decides, Hey, I'm going to choose

that landing near the land of Sodom

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where, you know, it looks a lot better.

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It looks closer, uh, to where there's

a lot more city, a lot more business.

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I'm going to choose that one.

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But in following that in

chapter 14, we get into this

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place where there's four kings.

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They end up going against some five kings.

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There's a lot of names that

I will not name because I

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probably will butcher them all.

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But, no, it's four

kings versus five kings.

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And the land, the army with four kings

attacks the land with five kings.

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And of course, the one with five

kings is in the land of Sodom.

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So, and who's there?

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Good old Lot.

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Alright?

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Causing troubles once again.

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But, he ends up getting captured

by the forces and taken away.

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And now he's at a point where

Abram catches word of this

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and he's like, Are you okay?

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Well, where are we gonna go?

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Well, we gotta get my nephew back.

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Come on, let's go get him.

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So, Abram, uh, um, creates an army.

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They go and take the land,

uh, and take the goods and

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the resources that were taken.

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And they also bring back Lot.

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So, it's great.

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It's a great time, right?

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But after that, post victory, Abram

gets some praises and some blessings

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from some kings, especially from

a king called, uh, Melchizedek.

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Um, and he was offered to keep the

goods, um, that he recovered in battle.

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Um, but in his commitment to

God, He didn't accept any of it.

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He, his words were saying that,

and I'm probably paraphrasing this,

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but basically saying that I'm not

going to be made rich off of man or

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claim to have this on my own, but I

will have God be the one to bless.

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So, he denies his great reward.

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So that's what we're

picking up in chapter 15.

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So, all this has happened.

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There's a great war.

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He rescues Lot, comes back, denies the

reward that he was, that he was, in

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a sense, that he had gotten himself.

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And now here we are.

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So, chapter 15, verse 1 says,

After this the word of the

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Lord came to Abram in a vision.

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Do not be afraid, Abram.

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I am your shield.

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Your very great reward.

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You know, it's funny, because if

you, look, you check in chapter 14,

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in the beginning of this verse, Does

Abram ever initiate anything with

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God, like does he ever reach out to

him, does he connect with him at all?

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No.

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You ever have that person in your

life, whether that's a spouse or

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a family member or a friend, that

you know like something's going

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on with them, but you don't, they

don't have to say anything, right?

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They're like, you can see it on

their face or their body language

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or the way they're texting.

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You're like, all right, something's

going on with this person.

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And God, and God is the same way with us.

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He knows us.

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He knows our hearts.

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He knows our minds.

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And the fact that I said, like, Abram

didn't have to say a word, but God knew.

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He says, do not be afraid.

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I mean, Abram had just gone

to war against five kings.

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I'd be fearful, too.

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I'm like, man, okay, now I just set

myself to be public enemy number one here.

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Right?

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He says, I am your shield.

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I mean, hey, I'm probably, Abram's

probably thinking, man, I need protection.

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I need some type of cover.

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God says, let me allow that to be.

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Let me let myself to be that for you.

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And I am your great reward.

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Now, obviously doesn't say what was

what the reward that Abraham had and

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the resources that he had brought back,

but I'm sure it was a lot though, right?

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I mean five five kingdoms

worth of rewards and blessing.

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That's like that's hard to turn

down, but he denies all that.

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And so he's probably thinking back.

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I said, man, I probably

should have taken it.

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Like I might be regretting this, right?

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But no, gotta say no, but

I am your great reward.

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And so he has reasons, right, to

believe all this and to think all this.

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But ultimately, God desires

to fulfill his needs, not with

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things, but God himself, right?

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He says, I am your shield.

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I am your very great reward.

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Not that I'm going to provide for

you in a shield or provide for your

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reward, which he knows God has in time.

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But think about the greater need, think

about how much more sustainable it is.

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When God is the one

that fulfills our needs.

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Amen?

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You guys with me on that?

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So let's see Abram's response though.

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He says, um, Sovereign Lord, what can

you give me since I remain childless?

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The one will, um, and the one who will

inherit my estate is Eleazar of Damascus.

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And Abram said, you have

given me no children.

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So a servant in my

household will be my heir.

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You know, Abram's basically saying, God,

what good is it that you're my reward?

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Who cares?

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Maybe that you're my shield.

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He's doubting.

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He's questioning because he's

like, Hey, the one thing that I've

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wanted, the one thing I've desired

is for you to provide me a son.

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And so I'm glad that you're my should.

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I'm glad that you're my reward,

but I've only ever wanted a son.

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When will you be faithful to me?

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When will you fulfill your promise?

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Now, before we get, you know, very

judgmental of Abram's discontentment,

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let's, let's, let's be humble

real quick and realize that we've

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also been in that same place, too.

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Amen?

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Now, I want to share a quick story.

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I was in, uh, sixth grade, and

my, my dad sat me down, and he was

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like, Hey, if you get straight A's,

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we will get you an iPad.

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And I was like, come

on, I'm a sixth grader.

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I'm like, with the iPad,

man, I was fired up.

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And so I was grinding first semester,

didn't do that great, but the second

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semester, your boy got straight A's.

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Okay.

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Now, when I went back for my award, I was

like, Hey dad, check out this report card.

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And he was like, that's awesome.

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We're going to need to

postpone the iPad though.

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Just, I was like, like,

bro, like, what do you mean?

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Postpone the iPad?

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Like I did what you asked me to do.

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I fulfilled what I needed to do.

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Where is your end of the bargain?

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Respectfully, I love you,

but yeah, like, you know.

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But like, in my head,

I'm thinking that, right?

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Like, I did what I needed to do.

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Are you going to uphold your end?

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In the same way, Abram's

like, God, I'm still faithful.

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I'm still here.

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I'm denying rewards.

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I'm, I'm, I've been called out of a

land that you, that I called home to.

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Wherever you're calling me, When are

you going to, uh, fulfill the promise?

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When are you going to uphold

the end of your bargain?

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You know, and sometimes what can happen

with us is that we can get into the

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state of this being of, well, okay,

then if God is not going to provide

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the promise that I'm going to go

search for it somewhere else, right?

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Whether that's in substances, in alcohol,

pornography, sex, addiction, social media.

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Unhealthy eating habits go into isolation.

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We go and desire these things that that

give us this temporary gratification.

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It's instant gratification, right?

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And we constantly have to go back

for that's why it's so important guys

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for us to have God be the fulfillment

of our needs because it's good.

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It's very good.

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It's it's it's whole is

completing and the same way.

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We have to understand.

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That God is the fulfillment

of our greatest needs.

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Yes, He might give us certain things to

be able to fulfill certain things, but

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think about how much more sustainable,

how much more rewarding it is when God

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is the fulfillment of our greatest needs.

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Amen?

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You know, God wants to be your best friend

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when you feel like you're isolated.

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God wants to be your shield when

you feel like you need protection.

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He wants to be your great

reward when the things that you

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desire in this life fall short.

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God is the fulfillment

of our greatest needs.

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Now let's pick him in verse 4.

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Let's see what, um, uh, God

says to Abram's, you know,

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discontentment, in a sense.

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Then the word of the Lord came to

him and says, This man will not be

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your heir, but a son who is your own

flesh and blood will be your heir.

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He took him outside and said, Look

up at the sky and count the stars.

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If indeed you can count them.

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Then he said to them, so shall your

offspring be Abraham believed the Lord

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and he credited to him as righteousness.

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You know, this is a third time

that God reminds Abraham of the

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promise that he had, um, given him.

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You know, and sometimes, and a lot of

times God needs to remind us of his

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promises 'cause we forget, or we have

selective hearing or selective memory

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on when God did or when God hasn't.

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Right.

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But God responds this time

with clarity and certainty.

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He says look up at the stars

and obviously where we live

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stars ain't shining too bright.

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But if you go to a place like Joshua

Tree, it's a beautiful sight at night.

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There's no city lights, nothing

blocking the sight, it's just the

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stars are too numerous to count.

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So I can imagine having the faith

of Abram and just being like, wow,

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God, if you want me to count these

stars and that's the amount of

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descendants man, that is amazing.

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It's so reassuring.

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It is so fulfilling.

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It is so inspiring.

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You know, and he clarifies even,

he's like, it's not going to

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be this spiritual descendant.

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That's not, it's not something that's just

going to come into your life and you're

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going to mentor and that will be your son.

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No, no, no.

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It's going to be your own

flesh and blood, right?

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It's like, just in case I wasn't

clear enough, count the stars,

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flesh and blood of your own.

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But Abraham was inspired by that.

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And what does he do?

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He says he believed.

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He's in the Lord.

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He credit to him as righteousness.

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You know, this is one of the

greatest statements in the Bible,

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especially in the book of Romans.

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And you might be asking, well,

what does it say in Romans?

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Well, I'm glad you asked.

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Let's go over there.

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Romans chapter four, verses one

through three, it reads, this is

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Paul talking to the church in Rome.

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It says, when they, when then, what

then shall we say that Abraham,

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our forefather, according to the

flesh, discovered in this matter.

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If in fact Abraham was justified

by works, he had something to

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boast about, but not before God.

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Amen.

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What does scripture say?

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Abraham believed God, and it was

credited to him as righteousness.

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You know, Paul was saying that,

hey, Abraham was a man of faith,

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and it's inspiring to have that.

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But he hadn't done anything in his

works to prove his righteousness.

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The covenant of circumcision that

comes later on in about two chapters,

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Is the first thing that Abraham

does in a covenant as a wart to be

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one with God or to agree with God.

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Although he's been led by faith out of

Ur, and now he's been leading a, uh,

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leading a life of trying to figure out

where God is trying to take him, right?

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But, up until then, he has had no warts

or anything that he has done, truly, that

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has given him the desire of righteousness,

or given him credited righteousness.

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Because think about it, there's

two types of righteousness.

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There's the righteousness that

you prove by your own works.

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And now there's the righteousness

that is proven by faith.

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And obviously the perfect righteousness

that we desire is God's righteousness.

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Amen?

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And that's hard to achieve, right?

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We're not going to be perfect at it.

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We are imperfect people.

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Absolutely.

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That's why the righteousness of

faith is so fulfilling to us.

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Because it's not about what we do.

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It's about putting our trust and

our belief in God's promises.

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We're 18 here.

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It says, Against all hope, Abraham

in hope believed, and so became

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the father of many nations.

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Just as it had been said to

him, so shall your offspring be.

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Without weakening in his

faith, he faced the fact that

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his body was as good as dead.

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Since he was about a hundred years old,

and that Sarah's womb was also dead.

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Yet he did not waver through

unbelief regarding the promise of

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God, but he was strengthened in

his faith and gave glory to God.

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Being fully persuaded that God had the,

had power to do what he had promised.

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This is why it was credited

to him as righteousness.

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Thanks.

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Now I want to focus on two things here.

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I think it's worth.

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Yeah, I love it.

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So we got without weakening

and yet he did not waver.

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I don't know if you guys have short

term memory, but what we just read

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in Genesis chapter 15, that sounds

like a little bit of wavering, right?

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A little bit of weakening.

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So you might be asking, okay,

but why would Paul write that?

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Why would Paul say he didn't weaken?

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Why did he say that he did not waver?

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Well, that's the thing guys.

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It's not about the idea

of being perfect at it.

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We need to be encouraged and inspired

that God can work within perfect faith.

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Then let's think about it, right?

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Like we're not stupid here.

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We ask the same questions.

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We doubt, we weak, we waver.

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We give up hope sometimes, but

God still chooses to work with us.

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God still chooses to partner with us.

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I mean, think of Moses.

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Initially, you know, he's called

to lead Israel out of Egypt.

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He expresses, but he expressed his

own is like, I'm not good enough.

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I'm inadequate.

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I'm not qualified.

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God.

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He's hesitant to lead God's

people, but God still worked to

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deliver his people out of Egypt.

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Think about King David, despite

being called a man after God's own

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heart and committing adultery and he

faltered many times with Bathsheba,

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Jesus is part of his lineage.

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God still uses imperfect faith.

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God built the church on Peter.

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The rock, a man who walked on

water, but when he saw the wind,

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he feared and began to sink.

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A man that denied Jesus three times.

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God still uses imperfect faith.

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It's not about being perfect, it's

not about desiring to be as good

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as possible, as much as we want

to be, because that's not who we

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are in our nature, unfortunately.

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We desire to want to be that

because we are disciples.

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Amen.

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But the idea is that God can still

work with us even when we are

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choosing not to work with him.

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That God still wants to put

hope and faith in us when we

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want to disqualify ourselves.

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So I know for me in my life,

like I said, nine years.

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A lot can happen in nine years.

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Going from high school to college,

and now college to post grad.

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A lot happens in 9 years.

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And I don't know where you're

at in your walk with God.

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You could be 10 years, 20 years, 30 years.

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But, you know, it, it, we'd

be, we'd be foolish to say that

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we've had moments where we wanted

to, we've, we've, we've not had

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moments where we wanted to give up.

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We'd be foolish to say that we, we

disqualified ourselves at times.

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We'd be foolish to say that

we hadn't had moments where we

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desired to not even show up.

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But hallelujah, amen, and thanks be

to God that He doesn't give up on us.

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That He desires to work

with our imperfect faith.

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And it's not by the works that we do.

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It's not about showing up to church

and just, you know, doing everything

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you need to do here and serving

and giving and being in Bible

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studies and sharing your faith.

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Like, that's all great.

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But what God desires and what He

credits for us because we can't be

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perfect in our works is our faith.

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So we need to understand and just

drill into ourselves that God can

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and will work with imperfect faith.

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Now, that doesn't give us the green

light to go make stupid decisions, right?

383

:

It's like, well, hey, I'm imperfect,

you know, it just happens how it be.

384

:

It's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

385

:

Right?

386

:

It's thinking, thinking, exactly.

387

:

But even though we are people who have

our doubts and our fears, it an incomplete

388

:

trust at times that doesn't disqualify

from God's plan as long as we choose

389

:

as you choose to engage and put your

trust in God and his perfect promises.

390

:

You know, so while Abraham had or Abram

had his moments of human vulnerability

391

:

as we all do, the narrative emphasized

in the overall arcing story of Abraham

392

:

that he desired to put his trust in God.

393

:

And, and, and endure his

faith in his prophecies.

394

:

Amen.

395

:

So let's go back to Genesis chapter 15.

396

:

We're going to be in verse 7.

397

:

So it says, He said to them,

this is God, back to Abram.

398

:

He says, I am the Lord who brought you

out of Ur, out of the Chaldeans to give

399

:

you this land to take possession of.

400

:

But Abram said, Sovereign Lord, how can

I know that I will gain possession of it?

401

:

It's like, bro, Abram,

don't you get it, bro?

402

:

Like, come on, like, but like I

said, like, it's a short term view.

403

:

For us, like, we see the whole

picture, but for Abram, in the

404

:

moment, we are like him sometimes.

405

:

Like, yeah, okay, but how for sure, God?

406

:

Like, I want to trust

you, but how for sure?

407

:

And it's like, Abram, God's

probably like, Abram, do you

408

:

want me to spell it out for you?

409

:

Like, come on, like, what

do you, what do you need?

410

:

But God, like I said,

works in perfect faith.

411

:

So therefore what?

412

:

He does spell it out for him.

413

:

He says, So the Lord said, Sir, bring

me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each

414

:

three years old, along with a dove

and a young, and a young pigeon.

415

:

Um, Abraham brought all these things

to him, cut them in two, and arranged

416

:

the halves opposite each other.

417

:

The birds, however, did

not, he did not cut in half.

418

:

You know, when God tells Abraham

to come and bring all these, these

419

:

animals and sacrifice, he knows

exactly what's about to happen.

420

:

The cultural, uh, background of this

is that, um, this, there was a contract

421

:

or a covenant about to be made, okay?

422

:

So in those days, the contracts were

made by the sacrificial cutting of

423

:

animals with the split carcasses

of the animals lying on the ground.

424

:

And the covenant was made when the

parties in agreement would walk between

425

:

them, through the animal parts together,

repeating the terms of the covenant.

426

:

And the symbolism was very plain.

427

:

First, this was a covenant that was very

serious, because it was sealed in blood.

428

:

And it was also sealed, and secondly,

if you break the covenant, let the

429

:

same bloodshed be poured out from

the animals out onto you as well.

430

:

So it's a very serious covenant that

God is setting with Abram right now.

431

:

And so Abram had his doubts

and wanted assurance from God.

432

:

God said to him clearly, He said,

Let's sign a deal right now.

433

:

I have a dot in line.

434

:

Go get me these things.

435

:

We're gonna sign it, seal the deal.

436

:

So let's jump on over here, um, and

continue on in verse, uh, verse 12.

437

:

It says, As the sun was setting,

Abraham fell into a deep sleep.

438

:

Thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

439

:

Then the Lord said to him, Know for

certain that for four hundred years your

440

:

descendants will be strangers in the

country, not their own, and that they

441

:

will be enslaved and mistreated there.

442

:

But I will punish the nation they

serve as slaves, and afterward they

443

:

will come out with great possessions.

444

:

It says, You, however, will go

to your ancestors in peace and

445

:

be buried at a good old age.

446

:

In the fourth generation, your

descendants will come back here,

447

:

for the sin of the Amorites has

not yet reached its full measure.

448

:

It says, And when the sun had set and

darkness had fallen, a smoking fire

449

:

pot with a blazing torch appeared

and passed between the pieces.

450

:

On that day, the Lord made a covenant

with Abram and said, To your descendants,

451

:

I give this land from the Wadi to Egypt

and to the great river of the Euphrates.

452

:

You know, it's super, man,

God is so cool, guys, you have

453

:

no clue how cool this man is.

454

:

Oh, man, it's so inspiring because.

455

:

The significance of this section, like,

goes beyond just reading the text.

456

:

Like, there's just so much that God

has already put in store and put in the

457

:

plan, that when I, as I was studying

this out, like, it just inspired me.

458

:

Because the significance of the fire

pot and the blazing torch was the

459

:

same way that God led the Israelites

who were out of slavery in Egypt.

460

:

For 400 years, like I said,

400 years, they would be in

461

:

a land, enslaved to Egypt.

462

:

But as, once they were freed and

God led them out, God led them by a

463

:

cloud in the day and a fire at night.

464

:

And so the smoking fire pot is basically

the cloud that was led during the day.

465

:

And the blazing torch was the fire

that led the Israelites at night.

466

:

So God is like, basically like, he's

like, I'm giving you some foresight

467

:

here on what's going to happen.

468

:

Like that's how, like you have to

understand like God's plan is so perfect.

469

:

God's plan is so intentional.

470

:

That there's things that he does

that may not seem, that seems super

471

:

random and seem coincidental or lucky

or weird, but it's very intentional.

472

:

It's very genuine.

473

:

And so that God has already, has

already gone before us here and is

474

:

passing through with these two things

to show us that what is to come.

475

:

And I love, I love this idea.

476

:

Why?

477

:

Because think of the covenant that we

have to sign or that Jesus signed for us.

478

:

Think about it, and then look at verse 18.

479

:

Um, or in, uh, sorry, verse 17.

480

:

Does it say that Abram

passed through the pieces?

481

:

It was just God.

482

:

The certainty of this

covenant was locked in.

483

:

And this, it would not fail.

484

:

Why?

485

:

Because God cannot fail.

486

:

And then on, on top of that, God is

the one that signs it for both of us.

487

:

Because why?

488

:

Because we weren't good enough.

489

:

Why?

490

:

We weren't righteous enough.

491

:

We weren't worthy enough to be

able to sign and set a deal that

492

:

puts us in a place of, well, we're

going to be faithful to you, God.

493

:

We're going to be, we're

going to be all in for you.

494

:

When God has always been all in for

us, because we weaken, we waver, right?

495

:

Just like Abram.

496

:

We're human in that way.

497

:

We have imperfect faith.

498

:

So why would we make a covenant with

God to be faithful for him forever?

499

:

When we can't even, we can't even

stand on our own two feet sometimes.

500

:

God is the one that steps and passes

through this covenant to show us that

501

:

he is the one that will not fail.

502

:

He puts his deity on the line for us.

503

:

He puts his sovereignty on the line.

504

:

Why?

505

:

Because he understands that if,

like I said, if we were the ones to

506

:

do it, it would not be fulfilled.

507

:

But with him, it is

always possible with him.

508

:

There's always hope in the same sense.

509

:

Because think of God the Father walking

through the broken body of Jesus.

510

:

to establish his covenant with us.

511

:

God signed it for both of us.

512

:

Like I said, we merely enter into

this covenant by faith because we

513

:

didn't make the covenant of God.

514

:

God made it with us.

515

:

Jesus went ahead of us and before us

to make this covenant and sacrifice

516

:

himself for us because we could not,

we could not be the perfect sacrifice.

517

:

God desires our redemption.

518

:

That's been his plan all along.

519

:

Since the moment that man fell in the

garden of Eden, since we got kicked

520

:

out of the garden because we had

things that we had desired other than

521

:

Him, God has been fighting for us to

get us back into the garden, to be

522

:

in peace, to be at harmony with Him.

523

:

God has been orchestrating

everything for us to be with Him.

524

:

And think about it, we enter this

new covenant today that we live

525

:

in because of Jesus, because of

Jesus sacrifice on the cross.

526

:

And the trust and the confidence

that we have that God will and

527

:

still and always will love us and

that his promises will never fail.

528

:

I want to encourage you.

529

:

This is your first time

hearing about this.

530

:

You're like, what is this

redemption that he's talking about?

531

:

It's the idea of you being one with

God and you being surrendered to

532

:

living a life for God that Jesus

is Lord and understanding that you

533

:

couldn't pay the price for your sin.

534

:

So he did it for you.

535

:

Yeah, whether you were aware of it

or not, whether you like it or not,

536

:

it happened, but it's not because

it's like, Hey, I'm gonna show you

537

:

how much greater I am than you.

538

:

No, it's just 'cause how much he loves

you, how much he desires to be with you.

539

:

The creati, the creator, desires to be

with his created, even though we decide

540

:

sometimes that we don't want to be, but

we need to have faith at some capacity.

541

:

To know and to trust that

God desires our redemption.

542

:

God desires to see us all with Him.

543

:

God desires us all to be with Him.

544

:

But you know what?

545

:

He loves you so much that

He lets it be your choice.

546

:

He puts it on you to decide.

547

:

That's the kind of love

that has no boundaries.

548

:

That's the kind of love that we

need to have with one another.

549

:

The kind of love that doesn't control,

that doesn't speak out of, of a place

550

:

that, you know, that fills our own

desires, our own needs, but from a

551

:

place that desires to see each and

every one of us redeemed before God.

552

:

That's why we're here.

553

:

That's why we're gathered.

554

:

I mean, think about it.

555

:

Each and every one of us comes

from different walks of life,

556

:

but God has redeemed so many of

us in this room from things that

557

:

we couldn't save ourselves from.

558

:

And like I said, even when you

didn't believe in him, even when

559

:

you didn't believe in yourself,

God desired your redemption.

560

:

And so we must find the

faith and the confidence to

561

:

trust in the covenant of God.

562

:

That's where we get our confidence from.

563

:

Why do we, it's like some of us will

be like, you know, asking like Dallas,

564

:

why are you so confident that, you

know, God will come through for you?

565

:

Why are you so confident that

God might be faithful to you?

566

:

Because of his promises.

567

:

Because he put his deity

on the line for me.

568

:

He allowed himself to be the one to set

the record straight that he is so in love

569

:

with me and with us that he doesn't give

up on us even when we give up on him.

570

:

So I want to encourage us today,

church that the confidence you feel

571

:

shouldn't be coming from your own self.

572

:

It shouldn't come from your works.

573

:

Like I said, showing

up to church is great.

574

:

Being in Bible studies is great.

575

:

Having devoted times with

God in prayer is great.

576

:

Absolutely.

577

:

But it's all for naught if we don't

have faith in the one that is unfailing.

578

:

In God, who is unwavering.

579

:

Who doesn't weaken or

lower his love for us.

580

:

Amen.

581

:

So just to recap, God is the

fulfillment of our greatest need.

582

:

Amen.

583

:

God can work with imperfect faith.

584

:

And God desires our redemption.

585

:

Let us have confidence in the

covenant that God has gone before

586

:

us to love us and to be redeemed

and to have us be redeemed with him.

587

:

Amen.

588

:

Before we have a final song, I'm

just going to go on and pray and then

589

:

we'll have the worship team come up.

590

:

Father God, thank you so much for today.

591

:

Father, we are so grateful in the

ways that you have redeemed us.

592

:

God, we know and we, we

continue to fight to know and to

593

:

understand how much you love us.

594

:

And though it may be an infinite scale, an

infinite spectrum, God, that we see it on.

595

:

And though we're finite beings,

I pray that we can just continue

596

:

to grasp how much you do love us.

597

:

That you want to be the

fulfillment of our needs.

598

:

That you work with us, even

in our imperfect faith.

599

:

And God, that you desire

to see us redeemed.

600

:

And I know, God, that sometimes

we, we can count ourselves

601

:

out and want to disqualify us.

602

:

But Father, I just pray and

hope that we can be confident,

603

:

not in ourselves, but in you.

604

:

And in your promises.

605

:

Father, we are so grateful to be

here, and that you have chosen

606

:

us to be redeemed with you.

607

:

God, I pray that we can just take this

into our weeks, God, as we just, we

608

:

really focus on our lives and our actions

and the way we think and the way we

609

:

speak, God, and speak not from a place

of our own confidence, but confidence

610

:

in You, and to live out our faith, and

to live out this journey of faith, God,

611

:

because of Your great and unending love.

612

:

We love You, God.

613

:

Thank You for this day and this service.

614

:

Please bless the rest of

it and bless our days.

615

:

We pray in Jesus name.

616

:

Amen.

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