God is unwaveringly faithful to achieve His purpose of grace.
I am thankful for the truth that God’s faithfulness does not depend on my faithfulness. God is faithful to all of His promises, and that is put on display in living color in the life of Abraham as God demonstrated His steadfast love and faithfulness to complete the promise He made to Abraham: to bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him.
In Genesis 20:1-18 you see God protect Abraham and Sarah from the sin of faithlessness in the event where, once again, Abraham handed his wife over to another man because he was fearful. God, overcoming Abraham’s faithlessness, protected the integrity of His covenant promises by confronting Abimelech in a dream and threatening him with death if he did not return Sarah to Abraham. Ultimately, God was protecting His plan to bring Jesus Christ through the lineage of Abraham in order to bless the world.
This is a sermon from Genesis 20:1-18, and below you will find the video recording, text of Scripture, and a sermon outline to help you along as you watch. I hope this study tool helps you grow in your love for the Lord Jesus and in your obedience to Him.
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Sermon Title: “What Happens When You Act Faithlessly”
Text: Genesis 20:1-18
“(1)From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. (2)And Abraham said of his Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. (3)But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” (4)Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people?” (5)Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” (6)Then God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. (7)Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
(8)So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. (9)Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” (10)And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” (11)Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ (12)Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. (13)And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do to me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
(14)Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. (15)And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” (16)To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” (17)Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. (18)For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”
Single Sentence Sermon Summary: “God is unwaveringly faithful to achieve His purpose of grace.”
Sermon Structure: (What Happens When You Act Faithlessly) Genesis 20:1-18
--vs.1-2—Principle #1: When you act faithlessly, you put your trust in schemes rather than God.
--vs.3-18—Principle #2: When you act faithlessly, you put yourself and others around you in great danger.
--Conclusion—Principle #3: When you act faithlessly, God remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
