Grace Alone - Part 9: Man's Lack. God's Abundance.
Pastor Matt Bell
*No audio or video this week.
Has there every been a time in your life, where instead of waiting on God, you took matters into your own hands? What do we do when this happens? Abraham was a man who took matters into his own hands.
In Genesis 16, we see that Abraham tried to fulfill God's promise on his own. Relying on the advice of his wife Sarah, a child is conceived through his servant Hagar. This child's name was Ishmael. Ishmael was born according to the flesh, not the promise.
Sometimes you get good advice that's not God advice! Abraham listened to his wife, but didn't inquire of the Lord. So many times we get tired of waiting on God and act out in the flesh. It's not easy to wait on the promise. We must realize that nothing good is ever produced when we live out of our flesh.
This is the problem with the law. It enslaved everyone under a curse, because no one was able to keep it. Abraham's wife Sarah eventually gives birth to Isaac - the son of the promise. We cannot add anything to God's plan. Get rid of Jesus + Something! Sometimes people give us good ideas that are not God ideas. Like King David, we must inquire of the Lord and find out what His will is.
One of the best ways to find God's will is in God's Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Another great way to find God's will is by seeking Godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says, "Where there is no guidance, a people fails, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." Community groups are a great place to do this! Get around people that can help encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
Waiting on God's will isn't always easy. Waiting on God takes faith. Sometimes it takes more faith to wait on God than to make bold moves or to take risks. Abraham learned that there is nothing we can do to add to God's work. Jesus didn't go through what he went through on the cross, just so we would have to do more. His work as been completed. It's perfect. We don't receive the promise through our actions, we simply receive the promise through faith.