Finishing Strong
Genesis 22:20 – 23:20
June 22, 2014
Well as you know we have been studying through the book of Genesis – “The Gospel According to Moses”
And we’ve been learning the gospel message of God.
This message, told by Moses, through the lives of specific characters.
Adam taught us about sin
Noah taught us about judgment
Abraham is teaching us about salvation
And we’ve spent a great deal of time examining the life of Abraham.
• We saw him when he was nothing more than a pagan chosen by grace
• We saw him when was saved, being justified before God
• We saw him when God was pruning on him and growing his faith
• We saw him with the ultimate expression of worship, offering Isaac to God
Abraham’s life has been a perfect picture of
What salvation is supposed to look like in a person’s life.
• We start as sinners, chosen by God, recipients of grace
• We come to a point of saving faith and justification
• God then works on us and prunes us until we become the type of worshipers He deserves.
That is us, and that is Abraham.
Well this morning we begin looking at the final chapter in Abraham’s life.
And if we were going to give this final chapter a name we would call it “FINISHING WELL”
I cannot stress the importance of this enough in life.
While we are all on basically the same spiritual journey, in the sense that God is working on all of us to conform us into the image of His Son,
There is no doubt we are all at different stages in the race.
And anyone who understands anything about running a race is that
In order to win, you must do all things well, but especially finish well.
• A bad start can be overcome…
• A bad stretch in the middle of the race can be overcome…
But failing to finish well will get you beat every time.
You may remember what Jesus told the church at Philadelphia:
Revelation 3:10-11 “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. ‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
The church at Philadelphia had run a strong race,
All that was left was for them to finish strong.
That is where we are now with Abraham.
Most of his race has been run, now he must finish well.
And the way Abraham is going to do this is
By settling once and for all which inheritance he has chosen.
You’ll actually see him do this a couple of times.
• First with the death of Sarah
• Second with the marriage of Isaac
But as we look at the story, understand that what we are looking at
Is Abraham settling once and for all which inheritance he wants.
NOW JUST TO CLARIFY THAT CONCEPT A LITTLE.
You must understand that when we come to Christ
We are made heirs of a heavenly kingdom.
Part of the expectation then is that we let go of our earthy inheritance.
That doesn’t mean no believer will ever receive an inheritance from their parents or grandparents, but it does mean that we no longer live for that one.
We now are in pursuit of what God has for us,
Not what we can get out of this life.
Let me give you an example or two.
Luke 9:59-60 “And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
That passage doesn’t speak of a man whom Jesus called
While he was attending his father’s funeral.
• That man’s father was alive and well.
• That man just didn’t want to leave and follow Jesus until after his father died
and he had a chance to collect his inheritance.
Jesus told him to let go of that inheritance and follow Him.
You may remember when Jesus called the disciples,
James and John had to leave their fishing nets and their father.
Even when Peter questioned about the reward for their sacrifice:
Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”
The emphasis there is on the fact that God compensates every sacrifice,
But it does bring to light that sacrifice is made.
• Those people did leave houses and brothers and sisters and father and mother and children and farms.
• Those where people who laid their heavenly inheritance beside their earthly inheritance and chose heaven.
• They were willing to forsake the goods of this world for the sake of a greater inheritance from God.
It’s as Martin Luther wrote in that great hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God”
“Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also, the body they may kills, God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”
Or as Isaac Watts wrote in “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
“Where the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”
God’s people have understood that the call to follow Christ
Was a call to forsake all earthly treasure.
That is what Paul had in mind when he wrote:
Philippians 3:17-21 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
You understand what Paul wrote there.
There are many who live for this life.
• Their “god is their appetite”
• The “set their mind on earthly things”
• Incidentally they are “enemies of the cross of Christ”
But that is not how a Christian views this world.
• “For our citizenship is in heaven”
We aren’t seeking an earthly prize, we are seeking a heavenly one.
Anyone who still loves and clings to this world
Is completely missing the call of Jesus in their life.
Abraham is about to seal the deal on which inheritance he wants,
By the end you will see that nothing could have pleased God more.
So first let’s work through this story
And then we’ll get some application out of it.
5 divisions this morning
#1 ABRAHAM’S PEOPLE
Genesis 22:20-24
Now this passage really sets the stage for a story coming later.
Namely Moses is showing you the lineage of Rebecca.
It will be important to Abraham in chapter 24
That Isaac not marry a Canaanite, but rather someone from his home,
And so Moses is giving you the lineage of his future wife.
But in this passage we are also reminded of
Who and where Abraham’s family is.
If you will remember God gave a specific command to Abraham years ago
When He called him out of Canaan.
Genesis 12:1 “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;”
Abraham was called to forsake his family
Abraham was called to forsake his inheritance
And Abraham did that.
Now we are reminded that his family has flourished
And stayed back in Mesopotamia while he is in Canaan.
So first just remember that Abraham has left his family
And has dwelt in Canaan.
#2 ABRAHAM’S PAIN
Genesis 23:1-2
And here is the sad news of the passage.
“Sarah died”
If we had time we could spend a while here and give Sarah quite a funeral.
What a woman of faith she turned out to be.
A model of great submission, Sarah was also a woman of great faith.
• Who could forget her willingness to follow Abraham?
• Who could forget her submission to say she was his sister?
• Who could forget her faith to conceive Isaac?
• Who could forget her discernment to make sure Ishmael was removed?
Certainly Abraham couldn’t forget all of that.
Sarah was his help-mate
Sarah was his life partner
Sarah was his wife
And now, Sarah has died.
And rightly so, “Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.”
Now we certainly don’t want to minimize the death of one of God’s saints.
“precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.”
However, the main reason for including the story of Sarah’s death (and more importantly her burial)
Is not just to get nostalgic over Sarah, but rather to highlight the decision Abraham made in regard to her burial location.
Abraham is a man in emotional pain at the moment
And yet he is about to make one of the greatest decisions of his life.
Abraham’s people, Abraham’s pain
#3 ABRAHAM’S PETITION
Genesis 23:3-4
Now that request may not seem like a very significant one to you,
But in Abraham’s culture, it said a great deal about Abraham’s faith.
In that culture you buried your dead in your homeland.
You buried your dead near your family.
It was a sacred thing.
You may remember Joseph’s request when he was dying:
Hebrews 11:22 “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.”
Remember Joseph made the children of Israel take his bones with them
When they went to the Promised Land.
The burial place was of huge importance.
And the significant thing here is that Abraham first admits to being a stranger and yet still chooses to bury his wife here.
(4) “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
Abraham confessed that he was a foreigner.
In fact in the next chapter when Abraham is getting ready to send his servant to find a bride for Isaac, notice what he says:
Genesis 24:3-4 “and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
Notice that Abraham knew where his country was,
And Abraham knew who his people were.
And yet, Abraham chooses to bury his dead here in the land of Canaan.
• A land where he owned no land
• A land where he had no people
• A land where he was “a sojourner” (traveler)
The main point is that Abraham was staying in Canaan.
If there was ever a time to return to your homeland, this was it.
In their culture what Abraham did really didn’t make much sense,
But Abraham was not walking by his own understanding.
Abraham was walking by faith that this would be the land of his people.
This was a declaration of faith,
And if you don’t see it now, I’ll prove it in a moment.
#4 ABRAHAM’S PURCHASE
Genesis 23:5-16
And we aren’t going to spend a lot of time here, but basically you see the procedure Abraham went through in order to purchase this cave.
The procedure was not necessarily easy and it wasn’t necessarily cheap.
Abraham had to find a cave, find the owner, settle a price, and pay for it.
And yet that is precisely what he did.
He found the place he desired and purchased the tomb for Sarah.
#5 ABRAHAM’S POSSESSION
Genesis 23:17-20
There we find that “Ephron’s field, which was in Machpela, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were withing all the confines of its border, were deeded over to Abraham for a possession…”
Why was that a big deal?
Because that is the only part of the Promised Land
That Abraham would ever own.
God had promised Abraham the land of Canaan.
• Abraham saw it
• Abraham enjoyed it
• Abraham wanted it
But as far as actually owning it,
This cave along with its field was all he would ever own.
The only land he ever possessed was the cave where he buried his wife.
Now, does that seem a little disappointing?
I mean, after all, God had promised it would be his.
Genesis 13:14-15 “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.”
And now we find out that Abraham never really owned this land.
Just this small portion of it to bury his wife.
WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT?
Well fortunately we aren’t left in confusion.
The Bible explains the situation quite clearly.
TURN TO: Hebrews 11
Now we looked at Hebrews some last week as well
So you are already up on what is going on there.
We have those Jews who have confessed Christ, but because following Christ has been so hard, they are debating returning to Judaism.
And last week we listened as the writer of Hebrews used the fact that God swore to Abraham to give those same Jews hope to press on.
Well the writer of Hebrews is still working on their endurance.
It actually starts in chapter 10 (look there with me)
(READ 10:32-39)
Again you hear the writer comment on their former obedience
And again he tells them to press on.
Notice (36) “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”
There is a promise to you, be sure you persevere to receive it.
And then the verse that transitions for us:
(39) “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”
So notice what the preacher is doing.
He is encouraging these battered believers to be people of faith.
Be the type of people who persevere, who obtain the promises,
Who have faith, and who don’t quit.
And then to illustrate his point comes the chapter you are all most familiar with, it is the faith chapter.
Now, we don’t have time to hit it all, but we could start with the definition of faith, and then take a quick look at the life of Abel and Enoch and Noah.
But we’re going to skip them for time sake and jump down to Abraham.
(8-12) “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.”
You are familiar with all of those truths.
We’ve seen each of those come to fruition in Abraham’s life.
So the writer is encouraging the Hebrew believers to have faith
And he gives them the example of Abraham as to what that looks like.
And then comes the passage I want you to see.
(13-16) “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
Now let’s spend a little time here,
Because you will notice that these passages fit Abraham to a “T”,
Especially in regard to the story we just covered in Genesis.
Notice what the preacher said:
“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises…”
Put another way, their faith outlasted their life.
(And might I say that it better)
If your life lasts longer than your faith you’ve got a bad problem.
Abraham and Sarah would die in faith
Without fully realizing all that God had promised.
As we said a moment ago, all Abraham ever owned
Was the grave where he buried Sarah.
So they did not receive it all.
“but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”
Now Abraham never fully realized the fulfillment of that promise,
But there were three things he did do.
All three of them are listed by the word “having”
So what did Abraham do in regard to the promise?
• “having seen them” (understood)
• “having welcomed them” (liked what he saw)
• “having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (chose them as his own)
DO YOU REMEMBER ABRAHAM CONFESSING THAT?
We just covered it:
Genesis 23:4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
And remember we said that Abraham was
Choosing the land of his inheritance over the land of his people.
Abraham realized that his natural home was not his home.
He had seen the promise of God and he was holding out for that.
• It didn’t matter that he was a stranger
• It didn’t matter that he was an alien
• It didn’t matter that he was a sojourner
• It didn’t matter that he didn’t have it all yet
He knew he would someday and that was enough for him.
He saw them and welcomed it from a distance.
(14) “For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.”
We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Abraham wasn’t interested
In going back to Mesopotamia and claiming his former inheritance.
Abraham was seeking what God had for him.
Abraham was seeking what was ahead.
(15-16) “And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
That was Abraham wasn’t it?
If he had wanted to go home,
Burying Sarah would have been the perfect excuse.
• You’ve spent your life as a foreigner in this strange land,
• You still don’t own any of it,
• Your wife is now dead
• It’s time to go back to your people and your land – correct?
Not for Abraham.
When the opportunity to return was the greatest, Abraham made the strongest declaration.
• He asked only for enough land to bury his wife.
• Canaan would be his home
• Canaan would be home to his descendants
• God would give it to him and Abraham believed it
“Therefore God [was] not ashamed to be called [his] God”
What a statement!
God loved the faith of Abraham, to believe even in a moment like this.
Now if you are familiar with the faith chapter, you know that from there the writer picks back up with more illustrations of faith.
He’ll carry you through Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph, and Moses, and the children of Israel, and Rahab and others he doesn’t have time to talk about.
And then notice once again how he closes the chapter.
(39-40) “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”
DID YOU CATCH THAT?
None of them fully received what was promised.
Because God wasn’t going to give it to them apart from us
(apart from everyone else He had promised it to)
And this is something you must understand:
GOD’S PROMISES TO THOSE IN FAITH
ARE NOT EXHAUSED IN THIS LIFE
(Bible Knowledge Commentary)
The promises of God would not be fully realized until the next life.
And this is something you have to understand too.
I know all those “name it – claim it” preachers out there want you to have your best life now, and promise instant healing, and prosperity.
Just read Abraham’s life story…
Just read Hebrews 11…
“And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised…”
There was a whole multitude of people who lived this life without
Because they were counting on an inheritance that could not be seen.
They willingly chose to forsake what they could see,
In order that they might gain what they could not see.
And that is the call for the writer of Hebrews to those he is preaching to.
YOU TOO MUST DO THE SAME.
• Let go of this life…
• Let go of your present inheritance…
• Pursue the city whose architect and builder is God.
In fact, the writer of Hebrews takes the momentum of this chapter
And drives it home with this great plea of invitation.
(12:1-2) “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us…”
I’ve heard it preached that they are in a stadium cheering us on.
I don’t really think that is the point.
I think the point is that since so many
Have gone before us and done it correctly…
“let us also lay aside every encumbrance”
• Abraham did, didn’t he?
• He let Lot go
• He let Ishmael go
“and the sin which so easily entangles”
• Abraham did, didn’t he?
• Not taking the bait of the king of Sodom’s gold
• Willingly leaving his pagan faith for the one true God
“let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”
• Abraham did, didn’t he?
• Even when Sarah died, he didn’t return
• He lived as s stranger and an alien and a sojourner all his life
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”
• Abraham did, didn’t he?
John 8:56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
AND THAT IS OUR ADMONITION OR INVITATION TODAY AS WELL.
It’s not just how you start, it’s how you finish.
In the Christian life, starting strong is easy.
You start the Christian life with the joy of forgiveness
And the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But finishing strong takes faith.
After a few years of this Christian walk, you get chewed on by the world,
You get chewed on by the devil, you have to endure over and over.
Your side starts cramping…
Your legs are like jello…
You are out of breath…
And it is then that you have to dig deep and finish strong.
And the means by which to do that are given to us.
“lay aside every encumbrance”
Is there something that is keeping you from running the race?
We aren’t even talking about sin here (that is next)
• Debt can keep you from giving
• Plans can keep you from going
• Friends can keep you from standing
• Any number of things can keep you from staying focused
What are those things? LAY THEM ASIDE
And “lay aside…the sin that so easily entangle us”
Some things aren’t sinful, but they still hinder.
This is sin, and it definitely has to go.
The sin in your life has to be removed.
• Bad choices…
• Bad relationships…
• Bad habits…
It will entangle you and it must be removed.
And then you must run with endurance, focusing on Jesus.
In the Greek the word race is “AGON”,
It is where we get our word for agony.
This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it requires endurance.
For your focus, look to Jesus, who already finished the course
And received the reward even though His race led Him through the cross.
YOU MUST REALIZE THAT
THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR THE BELIEVER.
Abraham’s life is a picture of salvation.
• God take’s pagans and chooses them and gives them grace
• God leads them to saving faith
• God prunes them and shapes them
• God desires worship from them
• And God expects them to finish strong
Abraham did, now you do the same.
HAVE YOU STARTED THE RACE YET?
ARE YOU RUNNING IN A WAY THAT WOULD PLEASE GOD?
• Is there something encumbering you?
• Is there something entangling you?
ARE YOU RUNNING WITH ENDURANCE?
• Or have you stopped running because it was to hard?
Just because there is an opportunity to quit, doesn’t mean we can.
“And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.”
But that is not what we do.
We press on
This morning let me encourage you to run with endurance,
Run with perfection, and finish your race strong.
Hebrews 11:16 “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
