What Was Abraham's Problem?-CHARLES LAWSON BIBLE SERMON-JULY 1 2024
Abraham Tells a Half-Truth About Sarah Being His Sister, But What Is Not Told Is What Was Abraham's Problem That He Should Lie. God Blesses Through Abraham as He Obeyed By Faith, and We Must Be Dependent on the Lord to Live for Him. The Holy Ghost Intercedes for a Crying Soul and Only God Can Search the Heart to See and to Tell the Inducement for Our Sin.
Transcript
00:00Oh boy. Pleased this morning I've got a special prayer request. God knows what it is. He knows who it is.
00:09I'm sure all of us in our families and our loved ones have names this morning you'd like to call out to the Lord.
00:16I've been calling this one out for some time now. Some time.
00:21Father bless your holy word. Use this messenger Lord, the place that you've called me.
00:28This word is not of me, it is of thee. Father I didn't write this book, you wrote it Lord.
00:34Just give me grace to preach it now. In the holy name. Amen.
00:38If you have your Bible, I'd like for you to turn with me to the book of Genesis.
00:42The book of Genesis. Chapter number 20.
00:48Genesis chapter number 20.
00:55So many things began in the first book of the Bible as one of the themes of Scripture.
01:01One of the ways to study the Bible is to follow something all through the Bible and see what the Scripture says about it from cover to cover.
01:08Make sure you find out everything the Bible has to say about it.
01:11And always keep in mind that the Bible may not say everything that can be said about it.
01:17But what is revealed to us we accept as revelation from God.
01:21Genesis chapter number 20 and verse number 1.
01:24And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur and sojourned in Gerar.
01:33And Abraham said of Sarah his wife she is my sister.
01:38And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah and he was going to add her to his harem.
01:45But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him,
01:51Behold thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken for she is a man's wife.
02:00But Abimelech had not come near to her and he said, Lord wilt thou slay also a righteous nation.
02:08Father bless your word in thy holy name. Amen.
02:13Now if you notice carefully and get the context of what you're reading here.
02:18When Abimelech said, Lord wilt thou also slay a righteous nation.
02:25What had just happened in the 19th chapter of the book of Genesis?
02:30See this? Look at the chronology of it.
02:33God had just rained fire and brimstone down upon Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of the plain.
02:40You can't, don't believe for one moment that something like that happened and the word didn't get out quickly.
02:47And of course it did.
02:49And Abimelech, Melech is king, Abi is father, king.
02:54So Abimelech, the king of Gerar, had taken Sarah because he thought, according to what Abraham had said, she was his sister.
03:04Now that's a half truth. She was his half sister.
03:08But in representing her, presenting her, the fact that she was his wife far outweighed the fact that she was his half sister.
03:18And he had a motive behind this.
03:21There was a reason that Abraham did what he did.
03:25And we'll try to look at that in a moment.
03:27But don't you notice carefully who we're talking about here now.
03:30We're not talking about somebody from Hey Boy Connor.
03:32We're talking about Abraham.
03:35He was called from Ur the Chaldees as Abram.
03:38Then God added the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph, Beth, Gemel, Daleth, Hey.
03:44He added Hey to his name.
03:47And when he did, he became Abraham.
03:50So he was no longer just Abram or Avram, father.
03:54Now he became Avraham, high father.
03:57So God had elevated him to a very high position, a place of respect and authority.
04:03And yet here we find him lying.
04:06Now this is tough, isn't it?
04:08I mean if you look at the heroes in the word of God, you'll find the Bible does in no way ever try to cover up who and what they are.
04:18This is one of the reasons I believe the Bible.
04:20Amen.
04:22I believe it.
04:23And I believe the Bible because the Bible is a very relevant down to earth book.
04:28This right here that happened was about 1,900 years before Christ.
04:34And so when this happened with Abraham, there was no priesthood.
04:37There was no Bible.
04:38There was no Pentateuch.
04:40Moses didn't live for another 500 years.
04:43No scripture.
04:44What they knew, they knew according to Psalm chapter number 19.
04:48It had been handed down to them.
04:51The knowledge of God had passed from generation to generation.
04:55But there was a knowledge of God that was essentially universal.
04:59Because if you'll notice Abimelech understood that God is a righteous God.
05:04And he understood that he was accountable unto the Lord.
05:07And so this is what you read.
05:09But my point is this.
05:11Abraham lied about Sarah.
05:14And he lied about Sarah for some reason.
05:17And I wonder what that was.
05:19Have you ever really asked yourself the question, why would a man that God called in the book of Galatians chapter number 3 and verse number 6?
05:27Here's what it says about Abraham in Galatians 3, 6.
05:31Look at this.
05:32Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
05:38This is the righteousness that comes by faith in the Lord God Almighty.
05:42Amen.
05:43He believed him.
05:44He's called aside for us to know that.
05:46If you'll notice in verse number 7.
05:48Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
05:53So Abraham becomes a type in typology of the faithful who all who believe.
06:00I'm one of them.
06:01So in typology Abraham is my father.
06:04This is a mighty high position.
06:06If you'll notice what it says in Abraham as it related to the Canaanite women.
06:11Around there for his son.
06:13He says do not take of these women a wife for my son Isaac.
06:18But go off into the land of promise.
06:20To the land of God and bring back a wife for him.
06:24So he was making good choices.
06:26In Galatians chapter number 3 and verse number 8 the Bible says.
06:29And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith.
06:34Preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying.
06:37In thee shall all nations be blessed.
06:41So here we have a man where God is going to bless through this man.
06:45What a thing to call a man aside and say that.
06:48Then in Galatians chapter number 3 and verse number 16 now.
06:51To Abraham and his seed were the promises made.
06:55He saith not into seeds as of many.
06:58As though that the Lord Jesus Christ could have come from a compilation.
07:02Or from a gathering together of all of the faiths of the earth.
07:06Oh no, no, no, no.
07:08The Lord Jesus Christ came from one faith.
07:11And that is the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Israel.
07:14And so we read of this in verse number 16.
07:17But as of one and to thy seed which is Christ.
07:21Well we know that Abraham was not physically the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
07:26But my dear friend in typology he was.
07:28Now understand what I'm saying now.
07:30In typology Abraham is a type of God the father.
07:33Who brings forth the seed into the world.
07:36The Bible says in the book of Hebrews chapter number 6 and verse number 13.
07:41Of Abraham. Notice carefully.
07:43For when God made promise to Abraham.
07:46Because he could swear by no greater.
07:48He swore by himself.
07:50He's saying I set you aside.
07:52I set you apart.
07:54There's not another like you.
07:55Never will be, never has been.
07:57There's only one Abraham.
07:59And I came to an oath between God and Abraham saying.
08:02I will bless them that bless thee.
08:04And I will curse him that curseth thee.
08:07Mark that down in your book today my dear friend.
08:09I don't care which nation comes.
08:11And which nation goes.
08:13It doesn't matter what college rises.
08:15Or what college falls.
08:17God will bless through Abraham.
08:19And he'll bless through the seed of Abraham.
08:21And through Abraham shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
08:25The Lord Jesus Christ my dear friend.
08:27Came 2,000 years ago.
08:29Because of Abraham.
08:31And I say to you this morning.
08:33The greatest blessing this earth has ever known.
08:35Was when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross.
08:38And there gave himself for us.
08:40That we might be saved.
08:42And wrote our name down.
08:44In the Lamb's book of life.
08:45Who did?
08:46There's only one name.
08:48Under heaven whereby we must be saved.
08:50And that's the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
08:52And had there been no Abraham.
08:54There would have been no son of God.
08:56According to the book of Matthew.
08:58Chapter number one.
08:59God worketh all things.
09:01After the counsel of his own will.
09:03Who can stay his hand?
09:05None can dear friend.
09:07None can.
09:09The Bible says in Hebrews chapter number six.
09:11In verse number 13.
09:13God swear by himself.
09:15Then in Hebrews chapter number 11.
09:17And verse number 8.
09:18We read these words.
09:19By faith Abraham.
09:21When he was called to go out into a place.
09:23Which he should after receive for an inheritance.
09:25Obeyed.
09:27Mark that word.
09:28He went out not knowing whether he went.
09:30This is a pilgrim.
09:32This is a pilgrimage.
09:33This is following the leadership of the Holy Ghost of God.
09:36This is not him trying to find the most pleasant place.
09:39The most accommodating place.
09:41The place that may look best to him.
09:43This is Abraham saying Lord I'm leaving my home.
09:46I'm leaving the comfort of my home.
09:48I'm leaving the life that I've known.
09:50The only place I've ever been.
09:52And I'm going to follow you.
09:54I don't know a whole lot more.
09:55I need to know more about you.
09:57I don't know it yet.
09:58But I know this.
09:59I believe you.
10:00And I trust you.
10:01And I'm going to follow you.
10:03And he left his land.
10:04And when he did, God Almighty made note of that in the book of Hebrews.
10:09Chapter number 11.
10:10And verse number 8.
10:12By faith Abraham.
10:13When he was called.
10:15Oh that God calls.
10:17Yes he does.
10:18So why did he lie about his wife Sarah?
10:21I want to put you thinking this morning.
10:23Why did he lie?
10:24Here's a man of faith.
10:25Here's a man of obedience.
10:27Here's a man that trusts God.
10:29Here's a man that given his life completely and totally to the Lord.
10:32Abraham, my friend, if you go to the Old Testament.
10:35Who can you lift up higher than Abraham?
10:37Save Melchizedek.
10:39According to Hebrews chapter 7.
10:41The only one.
10:42The less is blessed to the greater.
10:44But we don't know a whole lot about Melchizedek.
10:46He's one of the strangest people that ever lived in the Bible.
10:50But Abraham is a wonderful man.
10:52So ask yourself a question this morning.
10:55Why?
10:56Where did this come from?
10:58What was Abraham's problem?
11:00You say, well preacher, what was it?
11:02Well let me say this.
11:04It's very possibly.
11:06It's very possible that Abraham himself did not know what his problem was.
11:11It's very possible that what lay dormant deep within the soul of Abraham only God knew.
11:19And it is very possible that since God's the only one that really knows the human heart and the soul of a man.
11:27That it's up to him to reveal to us what we're really made of.
11:32And it also puts us in the context of this.
11:35That we are completely and absolutely dependent upon the Lord to live for the Lord.
11:42Did you get that?
11:44He didn't save you and send you out and say now find your way.
11:48Now here's the law.
11:49Here's the commandments.
11:51Live by this and you're going to be fine with God.
11:53Oh no, no, no.
11:55Oh no, no, no.
11:56Not at all.
11:57In the book of Romans chapter number 8.
11:59If you'll turn there with me.
12:01I'm trying to make a point folks.
12:03I hope I can get it over.
12:05Romans chapter number 8 in verse number 13.
12:07The Bible said if you live after the flesh you shall die.
12:11But if you through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body.
12:15Ye shall live.
12:17For as many as are led by the spirit of God.
12:20They are the sons of God.
12:22The Bible says in verse 15.
12:24You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear.
12:27But you have received the spirit of adoption.
12:30Whereby we cry Abba Father.
12:33The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit.
12:37That we're the children of God.
12:39What you'll find in the book of Romans chapter number 8 are the two natures.
12:43There are two things in the Bible.
12:45There are many more.
12:46But there are two things in the Bible.
12:48That if you get them right.
12:49The Bible will open up for you like you wouldn't believe.
12:52What's that?
12:53That's the first and second coming of Christ.
12:55He came the first time to suffer.
12:57That made it plain to them.
12:59And he'll come the second time to reign.
13:01If you'll get the two natures.
13:03The old man and the new man.
13:05And you get that right.
13:06The Bible will open up for you like nothing else that you could ever imagine.
13:09You don't get them right and you'll be struggling with your own self-righteousness.
13:13And work salvation all the rest of that garbage.
13:16And you'll never, ever, ever grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord.
13:20So the Bible says in the book of Romans chapter number 8.
13:23And verse number 13.
13:25It says plainly.
13:27That if you live after the flesh.
13:29You shall die.
13:31Now look at verse number 26 of Romans chapter number 8.
13:35Likewise the spirit.
13:36Is it capitalized in your Bible?
13:38Alright.
13:39That means that's the Holy Ghost.
13:41Alright.
13:42Holy Ghost.
13:43Pneuma.
13:44Capital S.
13:45Likewise the spirit.
13:46Also helpeth our infirmities.
13:51For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.
13:54But the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings.
13:59Which cannot be uttered.
14:01Stenagmas.
14:02Is that Greek word groanings?
14:04Stenagmas.
14:06What's that word mean?
14:07It means the groaning of the oppressed.
14:09It's the crying out.
14:11And the illustrations used of Israel.
14:14When they were crying by reason of their sad sorrow.
14:18That Pharaoh had brought down upon them.
14:21Telling them to make more bricks with no straw.
14:24They had to gather it themselves.
14:26He put them through literal suffering and sorrow.
14:29Until they began to cry for a deliverer.
14:31And when you begin to cry for somebody higher than you.
14:35You begin to cry for somebody bigger than you.
14:37You begin to cry for somebody that's able to do something.
14:40You can't do for yourself anymore.
14:42Then you begin to get to the point where God said.
14:45Now you're coming to the point where you can walk with me.
14:48And I can walk with you.
14:50Self-righteousness is sucking the life out of us.
14:53It's killing us.
14:54Pride is eating at our very soul.
14:56Amen.
14:57It's not that we have a little problem with pride.
15:00Pride is our problem.
15:02And it's eating us up.
15:03If you notice carefully.
15:05The Bible says in Romans chapter number 8.
15:07And verse number 26.
15:10Likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities.
15:13Now don't you notice what's going on here?
15:16The scripture says in verse number 26.
15:18We know not what we should pray as we ought.
15:20But the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings.
15:24Which cannot be uttered.
15:26When you say something verbally.
15:27Satan's listening to what you say.
15:29He can hear every word you say.
15:30But he can't read your mind.
15:32And there's that blessedness of prayer we have with the Lord.
15:35When you enter into a point of prayer with God.
15:38When your soul begins to cry out to him in real need.
15:42Amen.
15:43Do you find yourself.
15:44I ask you a simple question.
15:46Have you found yourself crying into God.
15:49And saying Lord I want to live for you.
15:52But I'm not sure exactly what's going on inside my soul.
15:56Show me.
15:57Help me.
15:58But you don't say it in words.
16:00He doesn't need your words.
16:02God's not deaf.
16:03You don't have to speak audibly.
16:05Just simply cry from the heart.
16:07And when you do that.
16:08You have got what's going on in Romans chapter number 8.
16:11For the Holy Spirit takes that and intercedes.
16:14In other words you've got a direct channel.
16:16Chain of command we had in the military.
16:18Any guy in the military you know what I'm talking about.
16:20You've got a chain of command.
16:22And the Holy Ghost is directly connected with God the Father.
16:25And he can carry that word directly to him.
16:28And when he does it.
16:29He does it in a fashion where Satan could never understand what's going on.
16:35He keeps it private and personal.
16:37Sacred for you and God Almighty himself.
16:40It's important though.
16:42This is important.
16:43This prayer to God is expressed inarticulately.
16:46In plain words it's not expressed verbally or audibly.
16:50It's expressed from the crying forth of the soul of a man.
16:54And then he says in verse 27.
16:56He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit.
16:59Because he hath intercession.
17:01He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
17:03Now look at this.
17:04This means that he is not only speaking to God in a fashion that Satan cannot understand.
17:09But in the same time there's a repricosity.
17:12I can't get the word out.
17:14Repricosity.
17:15What's it called?
17:16Where between God the Father and the Holy Ghost.
17:20They're communicating back and forth like that.
17:23Are you listening?
17:25He's taking that prayer.
17:27God hears it.
17:28Sends back to the Holy Ghost.
17:30Who takes it.
17:31Interprets it.
17:32And sends it back to the Father.
17:33And that's a good thing.
17:35That's above us.
17:37That's greater than us.
17:38That's a wonderful thing.
17:40That's what prayer is about.
17:42It's about communication with God.
17:45And somebody said well I just don't pray like I often.
17:48You're not living for God.
17:49You're living for self.
17:50You've got it all figured out.
17:52You've drawn up your list.
17:53You've done this.
17:54You've done that.
17:55But you're not living for God.
17:57You know the hardest people to reach in the church.
17:59I've learned this from experience.
18:01Let me tell you who they are.
18:02They're legalists.
18:04They're the hardest people.
18:06Because they will never admit that they've sinned.
18:09Or that they're weak.
18:11Or that they've got a problem.
18:12Or that they need help.
18:14They've got their little list drawn up.
18:16They keep what they have on their list.
18:18But they say to God.
18:19This is what it takes to live for the Lord.
18:22You don't know what it takes to live for the Lord.
18:25God's the only one that can tell us what we need to live for the Lord.
18:29And He does that with groanings that cannot be uttered.
18:32So, do you know what your problem is?
18:35Question again.
18:36Here you are in the house today.
18:38Have you had a tough week of it?
18:40I have good weeks and bad weeks.
18:42I have good days and bad days.
18:44I have days where I literally get angry and stomp around in the house.
18:47And I have to get through my bouts of anger.
18:50Then I get on my knees and I start talking to God.
18:52And say, Lord, I know You're a gracious, long-suffering God for putting up with me.
18:56Amen.
18:57Amen.
18:58I kick the slats out of my crib.
18:59Throw my rattler out on the floor.
19:01Refuse my, my, my, my, my, what do you call that stuff?
19:06The, what is it?
19:09Yeah, the formula.
19:11I say, no.
19:14No more formula.
19:15I want to pout and cry and carry on as a big baby's high and end.
19:19Amen.
19:20How many of you have ever carried on like a big baby's high and end?
19:24We all have.
19:25Yes, we have.
19:27And, but isn't it wonderful to find out that He's still there when you, when you come down and,
19:32and when you quit moping around and quit crying and pouting and showing off in front of people?
19:38But He's still there.
19:39Isn't that wonderful?
19:40Well, I've sure made one out of myself many a time.
19:43But God's always been good and He's been faithful.
19:46So do you know what your problem is?
19:48Do you really do?
19:49Do you really?
19:50Do you really know what your problem is?
19:53You say, well, I did this, I did, yeah, but here's the problem.
19:56Most preaching today, 99.9% of the preaching today preaches about the deed that's been done and not the source of the problem.
20:11And the only way you'll ever know the source of your problem, it's got to come from God.
20:18And you've got to be willing to listen to Him.
20:21Here's what He says in 1 John.
20:23If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.
20:26Did you hear that?
20:28Now, wait a minute, preacher.
20:30That means that we're all sinners.
20:32Amen.
20:33Glad you joined the club.
20:34Join it.
20:35You're welcome.
20:36Come right in.
20:37All right.
20:38He says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.
20:43There's a deception there, isn't there?
20:46And the truth is not in us.
20:47The truth is not in us.
20:48If we confess our sins, it's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
20:53Listen to this.
20:55If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His Word is not in us.
21:03Two things I want you to see.
21:04Number one, that is your state of being, what you are, you're a sinner.
21:10The Apostle Paul said, of all the sinners on this earth, I'm chief.
21:13Not was chief, am chief.
21:16We say, preacher, are you condoning sin?
21:19No, no, not at all.
21:21What I'm trying to do is to show you the enemy, show you the problem and how to deal with it.
21:27That's what I'm trying to do because the Bible says plainly, if you live after the flesh, you'll die.
21:34I want you to live.
21:36I want you to live.
21:38That has nothing to do with your eternal salvation.
21:41That has to do with your life on this earth.
21:44It has to do with whether you're going to live or not.
21:46Are you going to raise your children?
21:48Are you going to be there with your grandchildren?
21:50God's been good to me, friend.
21:51I got a great grandson.
21:53Good night.
21:55I got a daughter.
21:56She's nearly 60 years old.
21:58She'll be mad at me when I say that.
22:01She's born 69, so you know she's a ways away from 60.
22:06But I'm old enough to be everybody's granddaddy.
22:09You get to that point, don't you?
22:11Certain you do.
22:12God's been good to me.
22:13Amen.
22:14Amen.
22:15Amen.
22:16She'll be 54 years old in December, folks.
22:18I got enough where I can count and add two to two together.
22:22That was just a figure of speech.
22:24Amen.
22:25That's like I'm so far in debt right now, I'll be 150 before I get it all paid.
22:30I'm going to be around at 150.
22:32How many of you can break that glass face and smile?
22:37It'll be good for you.
22:39Amen.
22:41Listen carefully.
22:43If we say we have no sin, that's our state of being, then we deceive ourselves.
22:49That's deception.
22:51If we say we have not sinned, that has to do with what we've done, then what happens here?
22:57We make him.
22:59And who's him?
23:00Not the preacher.
23:01No, no, no.
23:02It's the Almighty, folks.
23:04Now, I don't think we have anybody in this house today.
23:07I don't know.
23:08You know that's going to walk outside and shake your fist and say you're a liar and look at God in the face.
23:14Now, I'm not going to do that.
23:15And I hope you got better sense than that, too.
23:18I'm not about to do that.
23:20But the Bible says that if you say you have not sinned, you make him a liar.
23:24So this is a generality.
23:27See, these are generalities.
23:30So what do you mean by that?
23:31All right.
23:33What is your problem?
23:34Somebody said, well, the problem is sin.
23:35I agree.
23:36The problem is sin.
23:37But let's get more specific.
23:39All right.
23:40Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
23:42Let's get down to the nuts and bolts.
23:44What makes it tick?
23:46What makes you tick?
23:47What's really going on inside you?
23:49You take two men rob a bank.
23:52One robs the bank because he's a bank robber.
23:56He likes to rob banks.
23:57He gets excited from it.
23:58The other one robs a bank because he's got a dying daughter and he needs to pay the bill, medical bill.
24:05And that's the only way he can figure out to get the money.
24:08The bank gets robbed by both men.
24:10They're both bank robbers.
24:11But there is a vast difference between the motivation between the two.
24:15How many agree with that?
24:17You better believe it.
24:18This is not condoning bank robbery.
24:20Good night.
24:21Don't go out and tell people.
24:22Preacher Lawson said it's okay to rob banks.
24:26He didn't say that at all.
24:27He used an illustration to try to show something.
24:29Amen.
24:31So, bottom line is sometimes we see people do the same thing, but the motivation is entirely different.
24:40We don't know what's going on.
24:42I'll be 78 years old September the 17th.
24:47My skin has thinned.
24:52How many of you older people, less senior citizens?
24:55Don't offend anybody.
24:57All I got to do is hit this hand against something like that and the skin tears back.
25:02I got two places on it right now.
25:04And when I do that, my blood's thin.
25:07Why is my blood thin?
25:09Because I have a heart condition, all right?
25:12It's called atrial fibrillation.
25:14I've had it since 12 years ago, 2016.
25:20Atrial fibrillation.
25:21I've got that, all right?
25:24So, they give me blood thinner because when your heart goes into a-fib, a-fib, it is no longer pumping the way it should pump.
25:34It's just kind of twitching and so forth.
25:36And it throws off blood clots.
25:39And a blood clot's bad news.
25:42So, every week I check in with people and I take a test of my own blood and keep it within what's called a therapeutic range.
25:51It's between two and three.
25:53And so, I keep my blood thin, all right?
25:56So, what are you telling us all this for?
25:58Well, here's the thing.
26:00You'll see me with bandages on my hand.
26:02Don't have one right now, but you'll see them.
26:04They'll come before this day's over.
26:05I may knock a hunk out of my hand.
26:07Blood start flying.
26:08I carry bandages in my wallet.
26:10I put the bandage on there, okay?
26:13All right.
26:14Most preaching today is Band-Aid preaching.
26:18That's all it is.
26:19Band-Aid preaching.
26:21Just patch you up.
26:23Make you feel better.
26:24Well, you confess this sin, you're okay.
26:26Confess that sin, but let's get to the bottom of it.
26:30You say, why is my blood thin?
26:33Why is my blood thin?
26:34Because I've got AFib.
26:35Why is my skin thin?
26:37Because I'll be 78 years old in just a few weeks.
26:41See what I mean?
26:42Hey, you may follow me this morning.
26:44This is the problem.
26:46Most preaching doesn't get any further than skin deep.
26:51I don't want to leave that with you.
26:53I want to give you something that's got more meat on it than that.
26:56I want to get you to where you get a hold of God and God gets a hold of you.
26:59And if you really want to live for the Lord and find out how to live for the Lord,
27:02let the Lord tell you how to live for the Lord.
27:05And the Lord's the only one qualified that can really look into your heart
27:07and into your soul and tell you what you need.
27:09But sometimes He doesn't say it to you in a manner where you understand it.
27:12He simply begins to lead you.
27:14God's a good God.
27:15He's a gracious God.
27:16And you know this, dear Christian friend.
27:19I don't know how to say this, but simply like this.
27:23If the Holy Ghost is living within you,
27:26if you have been born of the Spirit of God, you know the Holy Spirit.
27:31And there's no substitute for that.
27:33And you know what it is to have fellowship with God.
27:37You know what it is to have that sweetness in your soul,
27:40to know your sins are forgiven,
27:43to feel the breath of heaven down upon you.
27:46You know that.
27:48You know that when your mind begins to think
27:50and you renew your mind the way the Bible says,
27:53and that mind is renewed in the fellowship of the Lord,
27:56you're no longer depressed.
27:58You start walking in victory.
28:01And you know God's with you.
28:03How many of you know what I'm talking about?
28:05And you sense that in other people.
28:08And I'll tell you this right now in a heartbeat
28:10until the day I leave this world.
28:12The greatest connection we have with each other,
28:15the most certain way that you're going to know
28:17that someone has the Spirit of God
28:19is what they say about the Lord Jesus Christ
28:22and what He is to them.
28:24It's not how excited they are about the work
28:26and excited about the buildings and excited about their call.
28:29These all have their place.
28:31But the true fellowship, our fellowship,
28:33is with the Father and with His Son.
28:35We fellowship with each other over the Lord Jesus Christ.
28:38I get excited about Him.
28:41I love Him.
28:42I want His name exalted.
28:44Don't see me, look through me and see Christ.
28:48That's what matters in this life.
28:50So I don't want band-aid preaching.
28:54It's not going to do you any good.
28:56And I can't tell you what's in your soul and what you need,
28:59but I can tell you who can do it.
29:01And I can tell you.
29:03Now I'm going to read Romans 8 for you.
29:06It says,
29:07If we live after the flesh, you shall die.
29:11But if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body,
29:15you shall live.
29:17Let me give you a confession.
29:19I'm going to leave my life in the hands of God.
29:22He's going to determine how long I live.
29:26I've got about four or five doctors.
29:29I've got a cardiologist.
29:31I've got a urologist.
29:33I've got a family doctor.
29:34There's a couple more, and I just quit going to see them, got tired of it.
29:41But the urologist ran me through a bunch of tests a few months ago.
29:45They thought, in the way the woman talked,
29:48said you may very well have cancer in your prostate.
29:52I went in there.
29:53They did all their tests.
29:54Came out and it was all benign.
29:56Thank God for that.
29:58My cardiologist, just a few weeks ago, did another ablation.
30:03I've had five ablations done on my heart.
30:06Four-hour episode.
30:09What happens with that, I don't know if you want to hear all this or not,
30:12but this is what happens when you get old, feeble, bald-headed, and senile,
30:16and you start falling apart.
30:18Here's what I'm trying to say to you.
30:21I'll be 78 years old in a few weeks.
30:24A lot of people don't make it this long.
30:27They don't make it this long.
30:30My life is in His hands.
30:32Are you listening to me?
30:34My life is in His hands.
30:35God is going to determine how long I live in this world.
30:39So what am I going to do?
30:40I'm going to live for Him by the grace of God,
30:42and I'm going to listen to Him by the grace of God,
30:44and I want Him to guide my life.
30:46I want my life to glorify God,
30:48and I know better after all these years of this,
30:51I know better that it's not in my power to know what I need.
30:55I need Him.
30:57I need Him communicating with me.
31:00Here's what's important to me.
31:03I'll be leaving here.
31:05I don't know when.
31:06Maybe the Lord will come back before I leave.
31:07If He does, that's good.
31:09Whether that or not, it doesn't make any difference to me,
31:12one way or the other.
31:14What I want until the day I draw my last breath on this earth,
31:18I want my witness and my testimony to be for the Lord Jesus Christ,
31:22and when I've finished my course,
31:23I want Him to come and get me and take me
31:26and leave this world behind.
31:29That's what I want.
31:30Amen.
31:32Do you want that?
31:34All right.
31:35I'm going to ask you a question, and I'll come to a close.
31:38You're going to take this home with you this afternoon.
31:40I want you to think about it.
31:42What was Abraham's problem?
31:48You say, Preacher, I thought you'd give us the answer.
31:50No, I'm going to make you think.
31:53What was his problem?
31:56It's so quiet in here.
31:57I love it when it gets quiet.
32:00I don't know.
32:01I don't know what it was, but there was a reason he lied.
32:06There was a fear in there.
32:08There was a reason he lied,
32:11and only God knows what that reason was,
32:14but it would be good to dig into it, pray over it,
32:18and see what you find.
32:20What was God's problem?
32:21What was Abraham's problem?
32:23Father, bless Your Word.
32:24Thank You for the time in Your house.
32:26I hope I made my point, Lord.
32:28I hope people got a hold of it.
32:30If nothing else, they got this,
32:32that we are absolutely incapable of knowing what it takes to live for You,
32:36that it must come from You,
32:38and it must come by fellowship and communication.
32:41I pray this now in Jesus' name.
32:44Amen.
32:45All right.
32:46Brother, what have we got?
32:47Page number 81 in the church manual.
32:49Yes, that's right.