Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 17 06/23/02

Introduction: Kathy and I have a friend who does not like being touched. Know anyone like that? Shaking hands is uncomfortably OK for him but nothing else. Well, we attended a wedding  together and he was on the dance floor. It was a slow dance and he was dancing with his wife. So a bunch of us all went up and gave him a group hug and dance. I thought he was going to go nuts. We all got a good laugh at his tensed  and contorted body positions...all except him of course.

 Most adults have a sense of 'personal space'. It is like an invisible shield that surrounds their bodies to protect us from the intrusion of others into our 'personal space'. But that shield is penetrated every day, most commonly with a handshake. Which  is generally an acceptable breach. A hug, for many people is another story. It is far more personal and as a culture, we just don't hug much anymore. Although I am glad to see that during our greeting time hugs are given and accepted.

 We also know people who intentionally violate our 'personal space'. You know, they are the ones who are constantly 'in your face' when they talk to you, right up close so that you can see the  hair in their nostrils...that's close.  We don't like people getting too close to us. There must be a good reason for us to allow someone to violate our 'personal space'.

 This morning, in worship God has done just that. He has invaded your 'personal space'. And I bet you didn't even notice. We can think of worship as God's loving caress of His children through the active presence of His Holy Spirit. Whenever we come into God's presence in worship, He wishes to invade our 'personal space'.  Those who will leave this morning with the greatest blessing will be those who allow God past their invisible  protective shield and welcome the intimacy of His touch.

 This morning we are going to see that God invaded Abram's personal space when He  announced what the sign of His covenant with Abram would be.

 It was a most intimate and personal sign.
 It was a sign that would be an invasion of Abrams personal space.
 It was a sign that makes a grown man cry when he thinks about it.
 
The sign of the covenant between God and Abram was circumcision. How Abram handled this most obvious invasion of his 'personal space' will be a great lesson for all of us to learn, male or female. For in it we see that Abram had cutting edge faith.

Read: Genesis 17:1-2

 God had not spoken to Abram for 13 years. During that time, there is no indication from the text that he sought God. He had his heir and he probably got comfortable. Now God would disturb Abram's spiritual slumber.  Abram needed to see beyond the physical, beyond the present, beyond the possible.

 Abram's 'personal space' was about to be invaded by Almighty God Himself. Because Abram needed to see the impossible made possible, he needed to believe in the miraculous power and work of God. That's true for you and I as well. We can easily become comfortable in life and in our 'Christian' roles. It is easy to place our lives on spiritual 'cruise control'.  When that happens, we need a fresh sense of God's presence stirring our hearts and our wills to seek God and the impossible. But to do that, we must allow Him past our protective shield and into our 'personal space'.

 Abram allowed his 'personal space' to be  invaded by God. God  told Abram to walk blamelessly before Him. Blameless doesn't mean sinless, but wholly or wholeheartedly. Abram hadn't been doing that.

 Perhaps God wants to invade your 'personal space' this morning,

 To end you spiritual slumber,
 To wake you up to your need to walk wholeheartedly before Him,
 To believe the impossible and
 To follow God with all your heart.

 God invaded Abram's 'personal space' by reminding him of the covenant He had made with him.  The covenant was God's way of intimacy with Abram and circumcision, as we will see, was Abram's way of obedience to God.

Read: Genesis 17:3-8

 The name Abram means 'father of many', yet he was the 'father of none' for 86 years. Folks must have gotten a pretty good laugh when he introduced himself and they asked' Father of Many' how many sons do you have? And Abram would ashamedly respond, none. Can you hear the chuckes as the people leave his presence.
 

 Well, he finally had a son, but the teasing didn't stop. 'Father of Many' is now just 'Father of one'. Think about it, God now wants to change his name to Abraham which means; not Father of one or Father of many but   'Father of Multitudes'. Can you imagine how the people would have responded to that?

 From their perspective this was all foolishness. Abram was 99 yrs old well past his time for producing children. And that was the point. Abram  and those around him needed to see that with God all things are possible. Abram changed his name, in spite of the impending ridicule, because he believed God.

 Do you have a faith like that? Do you know a God like that? The God who invades our 'personal space' in worship works in the lives of men and women to bring life out of death, love out of hate, peace out of anxiety, joy out of misery and strength out of weakness.
 
 And if that isn't enough, God reminds Abram that the His covenant is God's promise to use His omnipotence and His omniscience, to do good to Abram all of  his life and to do it wholeheartedly. And this promise is the same for us as it was for Abram.

Jeremiah 32:38-41 God says to His children by faith 'They shall be my people and I will be their God...I will not turn away from doing good to them...I will rejoice in doing good to them...with all my heart and with all my soul'

 That is the covenant He is reminding Abraham of. That is also the promise He makes to all who believe in Him, who desire intimacy with Him and who walk wholeheartedly before Him....is that you?

Read: Genesis 17:9-14

 This is the first time God gives Abraham something to do in response to the covenant. And it is a MAJOR invasion of Abraham's 'personal space'...his most personal space.  This act would be the sign that Abraham, by faith had accepted the covenant with God.
 
 The sign of the covenant, the act that expressed Abraham's faith, was circumcision.  Why circumcision?

1. It was as intimate as one can get. It reflected the level of intimacy God desires intimacy with His children.

2. It was the cutting away of part of what was needed for produce an heir thereby showing that Abraham completely trusted
    in God to provide.

3. It was permanent. Circumcision reflected the permanence of God's covenant.
 
 But what about those who said 'Abram...no thanks. I love you man..but no way? Well, they were removed from the people of God. Because their refusal to be circumcised showed they were not truly people of faith in God. Pretty strong statement, but God demands obedience.

Read: Genesis 17:15-19

 God changed Sarai's name as well to indicate her part in the covenant. She would bring forth, from her own body, an heir for Abraham. He will be named Isaac. This is what she had always wanted. And Abraham was beside himself.  So much so, the text tells us that Abraham laughed.  This was not laughter from doubt, but laughter from extreme joy, the joy of the Lord overflowing all his senses. He and Sarah would have a son!
 
 But, he already had a son. In the midst of his joy, he remembers his son Ishmael and he calls out to God on behalf of his son. You see, Abraham now realizes that Ishmael will not be his heir. Abrahan is concerned for Ishmael because he truly loves him.

 Oh that all parents would have that kind of love for their children. That they would seek God's face and pray for them and for their future, that God would bless them and be with them. Abraham here is a true example of a man of faith and a spiritual leader in his family.

Read: Genesis 17:20-22

 God hears the impassioned cry of this loving father. And although Ishmael will not be the heir of the covenant, he will be blessed by God.

Read: Genesis 17:23-27

 Abraham believed God, Abraham allowed God to invade his 'personal space' and Abraham proved his love for and obedience to God by his actions. His obedience to God's command was demonstrated two ways.

1.  It was immediate. Abraham wasted no time with the circumcision. The text says twice, 'On that very day'.
     He didn't need to pray about it or get himself spiritually ready or  cleaned up. God said it and he did it.

2. It was complete. No one was left out. All males 8 days and older were circumcised.That included, himself, Ishmael
    and all other males..even the fighting men. If he had been attacked by the 4 kings, this would have left Abram and
    his fighting men greatly exposed  ...pardon the pun.
 
Abraham trusted  God and showed it by his obedience.

Conclusion

 Do you exhibit that kind of  faith? That kind of obedience?

 When God, in His Word, clearly tells you to do or not to do something..is your response immediate and complete? Or is it in your time and in your way?

 What have you been telling God you'll do  or not do, later?
 
 What parts of you life have you given God and what parts have you left for yourself?

 Are you feeling that God is distant? Perhaps not as close as He once was?
 
 Perhaps you are not growing in your spiritual life as you once did

 Might it be that you are not willing to live out the sign of your faith in God's promises to you?
 What is the sign? Your obedience... immediate and complete.

 Obedience is required in all of our life but I want to look at just one area this morning in closing.

 The majority of the Christian church believes that the sign of the covenant in the OT was circumcision, and the sign of the covenant in the NT is baptism, water baptism.  I don't agree completely, but I agree being baptized shows ones obedience to God and it is a public profession of your relationship with Him.  But for some reason, people feel they have to get their lives together first, before they can get baptized.  Abraham didn't do that, God told him what to do and he did it. I don't see a difference with  baptism.  The NT says we are to believe and be baptized...no mention of waiting. And remember from Gen 17, those who refused to be obedient to the sign of the covenant, those who refused circumcised, were expelled from the people of God for their disobedience and lack of faith.

 Now listen closely so there is no misunderstanding.

I don't believe that if you have not been baptized by water that you are not saved. Nor do I believe that if you have not been baptized that you should be kept from attending worship services, or from participating in the Lord's Supper. But if you haven't been baptized, I want you to look closely and ask yourself if are you being completely obedient to God?

Don't think it over,
Don't talk at length about it to someone,
Don't wait till you have your life under control.

 Just Do It!  If you haven't been baptized and you want to be, see me.

 Fellow lovers of Jesus Christ, God wants to invade your 'personal space' this morning and make your 'personal space' God's space. So that His presence, His love, His power and His goodness will overflow in your life.  Trust Him. Let Him in. And stand with Abraham on the cutting edge of faith.