Genesis

Gen_1:1-17

Satan is hard at work here in Genesis 3 trying to destroy what God has created, and unfortunately the woman takes the bait. Satan quickly confuses her on what God actually told Adam about not eating the forbidden fruit. He tells her that she will not die if she eats the fruit, which we know that she eventually does. She turns with what the devil tricked her with and convinces her husband to also eat of the fruit. We find immediately that the couple tries to hide from the presence of God. He calls them and they realize that they can not hide from Him. Adam told God, “I was afraid when I heard Your voice so I decide to hide.” He then tries to shift blame to his wife, who in turn tries to shift blame to the serpent. I believe verse 17 teaches us the harsh effects of man’s sin when God tells Adam, “cursed is the ground for thy sake”. In this story we find not only Adam and Eve and the serpent were affected, but we know that the whole world was affected.

Now let us take this story and apply it to missions. The devil is still hard at work deceiving people to choose the things of the world instead of choosing the things of God. There are Christians every day choosing to eat the fruit instead of enjoying the blessing of God. God is calling people to his work all over the world, and we like Adam and Eve, think it’s better to do it our own way. God says, “Go to the world” and we say, “Well that fruit really does look good, and I bet it taste good too.” When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, that one act condemned all men to hell. Man lost his communion with God. So in turn when we don’t obey God when he tells us to go the world, we are doing the same thing, condemning men to hell. God gave us a way to have communion with him again. I praise the Lord I am able to have communion with him, but what about everyone else. What about the three billion or more people who still have not heard a clear presentation of the gospel? God calls our name and we like Adam are afraid and hide when we hear the voice of God. We tell Him, “God, I would go if it wasn’t for my wife.” Then the wife says, “God, I would go but my parents are still alive and my children are so young.” It’s always someone else’s fault for us not doing God’s will.

God told Adam, “cursed is the ground for your sake”. I wonder if God is looking at us now and saying, “Cursed is Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America for your sake.” Might we take the command of God on our lives seriously and take the gospel message to the world. Let us work to have the testimony that Paul had when he said, “I am pure from the blood of all men.”

MLC

Gen_1:26-28 Fellowship, Dominion, Purpose. Those three characteristics were built in to us by design. Our God has desired our fellowship and our love for Him. He has given us dominion over all the earth and finally He made us to have a purpose and to be filled with satisfaction. All this midway through chapter one. In a mere chapter, we have traded our fellowship with Him for fellowship with the creature and our dominion over
the creation for submission to the creation. Finally, our purpose has been lost in a life centered on self. The power to recapture our fellowship with Him, our dominion over this earth and the purpose for our lives. JDP

Gen_11:4

At the tower of Babel, their main concern was to make a name for themselves, lets be careful not to ever have that attitude. WCG. 

Gen_11:6

If you can dream it you can do it, what are you imagining for God?  God separated man and destroyed his work because whatever he thought about he could do.  How much do we think about world evangelism and doing all in our power to get the gospel to every creature.  What do you spend your time dreaming about or planning? When was the last time you spent time thinking about doing something big to bring honor and glory to God by evangelizing the world.  WAG

Genesis 12:10-20

When trouble arose Abram decide to take a break from the will of God.  Chapter 12 was supposed to be a glorious chapter for Abram and his family, but he decided to sojourn in the land of Egypt while there was a famine in the land.  Sojourn gives the idea of just stopping off at another place for a short time while you are on your journey to where you are supposed to be going.  In Abram’s eyes it seemed harmless.  “I will just go over there until trouble has passed,” I’m sure he explained.

What he thought was going to save his family almost destroyed it.  He could have easily lost his wife and his own life.  Thanks be to God for putting his hand of protection over Abram even while he took the wrong road for his life.  We do see that Abram was smarter than most Christian, as soon as he realized he was out of God’s will he went straight back to where he got off track.

Many times we compare how God called Abram to go to Canaan to how God calls missionaries to go to foreign fields, and I believe that is a fair comparison.  I also believe it is fair to compare the effects of Abram’s disobedience to what can happen to a servant of God when he gets out of God’s will. 

When God tells us to go somewhere we better have full obedience.  Many times we make commitments to go to a place because we know it to be God’s will, but after a little time of discomfort and trials we decide that it wasn’t the will of God after all.  If God tells you to go somewhere you better be willing to go and stay.  God’s “place for you” isn’t always easy but I can guarantee you it’s the best place for you to be.  Don’t let fears of a “famine” deter you from being where you are supposed to be.  That place that you think is going to kill you may just be the place God is going to use to bless you immeasurably.  Maybe threats of terrorism or country collapse have you thinking of leaving.  You better make sure it’s God’s will for you to leave and not your own thoughts of “famine in the land” before you take that first step.  Abram almost lost his wife and his life for sojourning in a place until things got better.  What could you lose by leaving the will of God?   

I am learning every day the true meaning of the old cliché, “The grass is always greener on the other side.”  Don’t leave His will for anything in the world, not for safety, wealth, opposite sex, comfort, not for anything.

MLC

Gen_19:20

Not perfect obedience, what are the LITTLE Zoar's in your life?  Song of Solomon 2:15  After seeing God move as he did, you would have thought that Lot would have a revival, but he still kept his Zoar.  WCG

Gen_19:31

"There is not a man" are some of the most tragic words in the Bible. In the history of Lot, the fact that there was not a man for Lot's daughters opened the door to the awful sin of incest and the creation of two nations that plagued God's people continually, the Ammonites and the Moabites. Who knows what tragedies occur around the world daily in dark and foreign lands because there is not a man that will go. There was not a man to help the Ethiopian Eunuch until Phillip was obedient. There was no man to help the impotent one until Jesus came by. The cry for a man is as loud today as ever. Will we be obedient? JDP

Gen_22:9

If we ever expect to do anything great for God we have to be willing to lay our most valuable possessions on His alter. Many times we let what we possess keep us from serving the Lord. Abraham gave his son. What are we willing to give or better yet what are we not willing to give? Is our job too important to give up for God? Are we holding on to our children, our retirement plan, our house and new car so much that God can not use us? If God asked you right now to give up everything and go to the mission field what would be your response? Is what we possess more important than seeing lost souls saved? Is what we possess more important than obeying the God that gave His Son for us. Put everything on the alter expecting to lose everything and just see what God gives back.  MLC

Gen_22:18

Ever nation has been blessed because of Abraham’s obedience to God. Through his family was born Jesus Christ the Messiah who came to seek and to save those who are lost.

What about our lives? Who is going to be blessed because we obey God? God is searching for those that will give their lives to preach His gospel to every nation. He desires for our lives to be used in seeing souls saved around this world. Are we going to be obedient as Abraham was? Let us give our lives in obedience to the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to preach the gospel to every nation so they can be blessed through our lives.

Right now half the world has yet to hear the gospel message. The blessing of God has not yet arrived at their door step. They are waiting for someone to be obedient so they can receive the blessing that we have possessed for so long.  MLC

Gen_24:1

As Abraham sent his servant to get a bride for his son Isaac, so our Owner has sent us to get the bride for His Son. Our job is only to tell the message of our Master, not force them to accept. vs. 8 Because we are dependent on the Lord in this labor, the prayer of faith is imperative. vs. 12-15 Is our message so important that we are willing to sacrifice some of the comforts of life to assure that it is delivered? vs. 33 The concern is not will God prepare the people; we know that He has. The concern is the lack of servants to take the message. Rest in fact that God has gone before us and has prepared the hearts of the people. vs. 40 The decision is a personal one. But how can they accept, if they have never heard of the awaiting bride? Vs.58 JEH

Gen_27:20

And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

Many times we use the name of the LORD in vain to get what we want for ourselves. I have never heard a missionary leave the field because it wasn’t the Lord’s will. We always use God’s name to explain our selfish actions. I am sure the Lord does change people’s direction for their lives, but we better make sure we are not half heartedly using the Lord’s name in vain to do what we know He didn’t have anything to do with. MLC

Gen_33:14

In leadership and discipleship training the shepherd teaches us many principles that we must practice.  First you must know the condition of your flock.  Jacob knew that they were tender, had their young with them.  He knew where they lived.  He knew how their lives were.  How can you truly train a man or woman if you do not know them personally?  Jesus spent time with his men.  It was not a classroom environment.  It was not instruction but inspiration.  Not only did he give them principles but he showed them how to put it into practice.  He lived with his men.  It was life on life discipleship.  True discipleship is the teacher investing his life in his disciple.  You can not descend from the heavenlys and deliver your message and ascend back to the heavenlys if you truly want to impact the world.  Obviously you have to spend your time with the right people but you must spend and be spent if you truly desire to have a world impact.

Not only does Jacob know the condition of his flock but he is careful in how he treats them.  He will not allow himself nor others to overdrive them.  How often have we tried to make the external man conform to what we believe he should be without investing in the inward man?  How often have we tried to change a man from the outside in instead of the inside out?  How often have we preached messages or given lessons that asked more than the tender were able to bear.  So often we have a revolving door in our churches.  Somehow we must stop this mistreatment or overdriving of our sheep.

Jacob as a shepherd knew that he had to lead on softly.  He had to do what the children and the flock could endure.  He knew that he would arrive at the desired destination but only if he moved at the right speed. 

I am sure that no man of God has ever meant to hurt his people but so many times in our eagerness to be all that we can be we use our people to build our work rather than our work to build our people.  As a young pastor I wanted my people to be good Christians.  I wanted them to look the part and act it as well.  I am sure that I had no idea how much I wanted these things for how it would make me look more than the good of my people but I proceeded to hurt people in more ways than I can explain. 

I preached hard messages.  I dictated how they were to dress, how they were to give, how they were to carry on every aspect of their lives.  I didn’t lead on tenderly.  I did overdrive them.  Finally when the men came to see me in a group to tell me how I should be a little kinder and preach more than my few favorite pet topics I proceeded to tell them that I was God’s man and that I would preach what God told me to preach.  There only concern was not that what I was preaching was wrong, but maybe the spirit I preached it in and the speed at which I wanted them to change.  They didn’t ask me to change my convictions, they asked me to consider preaching more than just my pet topics.  I was young, I heard the big boys talk to so I was right and they were wrong.  I basically told them it was either my way or the high way.  They took the high way.  In my eagerness to have a product I could show off as a young dedicated pastor, I soon found myself without a salary and with a clean but empty church.  I had asked a pastor friend what he thought and he simply said you’re obnoxious.  His comment hurt so deeply that I couldn’t quit crying, but maybe that comment put me on the road to changing my philosophy of ministry.  I still believe the same things but I know now the flock is tender and with young and I have learned to not try to over drive them.  I once heard a great man of God say whenever you preach against sin, make sure there’s a tear in the corner of your eye, because your not against them but rather trying to deliver them from the pain that comes from the sin they are about to commit.  Pastor, disciple, spiritual leader, please remember that they are but children and must be treated as such.  We must only teach them what they are able to bare today. No one expects a six month old child to feed himself, dress himself, or even use the bathroom on his own.  In our wisdom we understand where he is, and therefore have patience and tenderness as we watch them grow up.  Pastor could I venture an opinion about what we preach.  I know I am treading on dangerous waters but discipleship in my opinion is the place you say so many things that apply directly.  Many of us are afraid of personal confrontation so we use a bully pulpit to beat on our people.  What we would be afraid to say face to face we say to a crowd and hurt many people, and by the way we lose standing with our people, because many of them figure out what you are saying and to who you are saying it.  The people side with the under dog and since you are publicly attacking a weaker brother or a brother who gets no pulpit time you may lose the confidence of your people.  Why not develop discipleship in your church.  A one on one relationship.  Life on Life that changes people.  How many times do we preach messages that are true and important but not applicable to the spiritual level of our people?   WAG

Gen_37:8

Be careful who you share your dreams with, many will not understand and many will hate because they don't dream as big. Gen_37:8

The world, the church and our colleges say lets throw something their way and see what becomes of their dreams. Gen_37:19-20

Pastor "Wait until ....... Then he will know.

Eli "I know your dreaming, go back to bed."

Your opposition helps you get the dream to happen.  Even when they don't mean to.

Gideon:  Imagine waking up and realizing you had killed your friend as a mistake.  You helped your enemy.

Awake and Arise. WCG

Gen_42:21

Will you hear?

Gen_42:21

I.  Guilty brothers!  The story of Joseph

    a.  They saw his anguish

     b.  They heard his cry

     c.  They refused to help

II.  A helpless lost world!

      a.  Blinded and deafened

II Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

       b.  No one to help them Psa_142:4             

I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

        c.  They are condemned already Joh_3:18 

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

III.  Our responsibility!  Some great questions of the Bible!

         a.  Am I my brother’s keeper? Gen_4:9-10 

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

        b.  Will their blood be required at our hands? Eze_33:6

        c.        Will you hear?

                  i.  His call?  Isa_6:8 

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

                    ii.  Their plea for help?  Act_16:9    

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

                      iii.  Aldo Asto’s story about Abimael Guzman and the terrorist

WAG

Gen_45:20

Quit worrying about your stuff.  He has so much more for you if you will just decide to put him first and honor him with what you have.  He will give provision for your way as you follow him.  Your stuff is of little value compared to what He has for you!  WAG

Gen_45:21

Provision for the way is provided, amazingly if you but forget your stuff He will give you His and provision for the way.  WAG

Gen_45:22

He sent clothes and gifts for the family.  WAG

Gen_45:24

Don’t fall out by the way.  There will be plenty of reasons to quit.  Hurt feelings, misunderstandings, persecutions, family problems, lack of money, discouragement, believers that fall, children that hurt you.  WAG