The God Of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob - Message 7 - Abraham and Sons

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another faith-building message by Pastor David Entry. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God.

[0:12] May your knowledge of Jesus Christ increase as you listen. Be blessed. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a subject that is taking a bit of time, but it's worth it.

[0:23] Because to be in the category of God's people, we must know God in a certain way. First of all, we must know God as the God of Abraham. We must know him as the God of Isaac. And we must know him as the God of Jacob.

[0:35] Praise the Lord. And knowing God as the God of Abraham, what does that mean to us to know God as the God of Abraham? It means that there are certain things or certain elements in Abraham's work with God, which becomes a necessary foundation for everyone who becomes part of God's people to have.

[0:54] So that when you are part of God's people, you need to have certain encounters and certain experiences in God. That makes you discover God in a certain way so you can enjoy your work with him.

[1:06] Same God of Isaac and Jacob. We spoke about how, in the first place, Abraham had a few challenges regarding the land. He was told that, I'm going to give you this land.

[1:17] He became an immigrant. He was deported and eventually when he was deported, he came back home. He started having problems with Lot and Lot also, you know, they had to share the land.

[1:28] Lot to the best of the land. By all that, God was trying to test Abraham, show him how he is, God is enough for Abraham. All right. So if God said, I'll give you a land, I want you to know that I, if you have me, you've got a land.

[1:41] If you have me, you've got that husband. If you have me, you've got that child. If you have me, you've got that job. If you have me, you've got that financial security. Amen. There are so many of us. It's necessary to save and prepare for our children and try and make, believe God that our children will have a glorious life and good future.

[1:57] But there's no one who can guarantee you, your children, a good future but God. But God. So train up a child in the way he should go and when he grows, he will not depart from him.

[2:08] Move a child into God. Where you are coming from, just looking at you and your background, you came from a very deprived and unfortunate background. But look at where you are. Look at where you are.

[2:18] So that same God who has brought you here can take care of that child. Amen. Say. Thank you, God. Hallelujah. Amen. So it's very necessary. It's very important to appreciate and understand how God works.

[2:31] So Abraham got to know God. And then after the test of the land, he came to a place for the test of a child. Because Abraham, Genesis chapter 15, from verse 1. He had a vision.

[2:42] Say, he had a vision. He had a vision. Okay. Let's go to Genesis chapter 15, verse 1. Abraham had a vision. After these things, the word of the Lord. After what things? After he has fought and recovered his nephew, Lot, from the hands of those other enemies.

[2:56] And he has conquered three kings. He settled. But he know that maybe they would have come against him again. After these things that Abraham, Melchizedek, that's when he met Melchizedek and paid tithe to Melchizedek.

[3:07] That is when he met the king of Sodom. King of Sodom said, you know, take these goods. Just give me this. And then I will give you this. And he told the king of Sodom in Genesis chapter 14, verse 21, 22, thereabout.

[3:19] He said that I vowed that I will not take, I don't want to take anything from you. So that you end up saying that I have made Abraham rich. He said, God is the one who makes me rich.

[3:30] So I'm not going to depend on you. God may use human agents and human vessels. I guarantee you and submit to you that that estate agent is not the one who is going to give.

[3:41] Sometimes you can get to the landlord directly and the estate agent becomes redundant, irrelevant. So God will use agents to supply your needs, to help you, to do things.

[3:52] But don't make them your source. You can use your husband. I can use your wife. I can use your uncle. You can use your auntie. You can use your friends. You can use your qualification.

[4:03] But don't make that your source. God is my source. Amen. Someone shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. So Abraham, after all this is when he said to him, then in chapter 15, verse 1, after all this is God came to Abraham.

[4:16] And listen to what God said to Abraham. In a vision. Say in a vision. In a vision. Saying, do not be afraid. Abram, I am your shield. Your exceedingly great reward.

[4:27] Don't fear. Right? Don't fear. Tell someone fear not. Fear not. Very interesting. Remember, please remember very well that before this happened, or this incident, this story we are reading, before it happened, God has already appeared to Abraham, and according to Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8, God, when God appeared to Abraham and told Abraham to leave his father's house, Bible says that, and God, Abraham obeyed by faith.

[4:52] Abraham obeyed. All right? So Abraham was operating in faith when he left home. That's what I'm trying to say. Well, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 7 says that, by faith, Abraham obeyed when he was asked to go out, Hebrews chapter 11, when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going.

[5:13] He went by faith. So, now, Abraham had left home a long time ago, because according to Joshua, we read in the book of Joshua chapter 24, verse 2 and verse 3, when Joshua was given an account of our father Abraham, he said that, Joshua said to the people, that said the Lord God obeyed, your father, your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Naho, dwelt on the other side of the river in old times, and they served other gods.

[5:40] The next verse, then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants. So, when he told Abraham to leave, God was actually moving him to another place.

[5:54] And here, in Genesis chapter 15, he had already moved. He wasn't in the air of the Chaldeans. In Acts chapter 7, God appeared to Abraham, and Abraham had to migrate.

[6:05] And so, all I'm trying to draw to your attention is, at the time of Genesis chapter 15, Abraham had already operated in faith, because for him to move from Hebrews, it was by faith he left home.

[6:17] Are you getting what I'm saying? And then we go to chapter 15, and God said, do not be afraid of me. And Abraham said, Lord, Lord, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus.

[6:32] Abraham said, Lord, you have given me no offspring. Indeed, one born in my house is my heir. He was talking about his children now. He was thinking, now, I've got all this land, but a foreigner is going to inherit what I've got.

[6:46] A foreigner is going to. And he named the one, I'm sure he has made his will already. He named the one who was going to inherit. He said, Eliezer of Damascus is going to be my heir. Oh, boy.

[6:56] And behold, verse 3, and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, this one shall not be your heir. Reap that will. Reap it. Take it. He will not be your heir. But definitely, I have all this in.

[7:07] Someone myself must inherit what I've got. Someone must take over. He said, forget it. The guy you think is going to take over is not going. The who else then? God said that, this one shall not inherit, but one will come, who will come from your own body.

[7:23] I, God, you mean you have me, a child? God, before you called me, I didn't have a child. Yeah. No, read your Bible. Genesis chapter 11, the letter part.

[7:35] The wife of Abraham was barren before God called him. Yeah. When they were living in the land of idolatry, she was barren. I don't know. It may be one of the idols or someone, maybe a witch took a womb away.

[7:50] It was something. I don't know. I don't know. But she was married. And so, now God, Abraham, after all these years, he had obeyed God and God has blessed him, has given him the land. Because when God called him, he said, I'll make you descend.

[8:02] He said, you'll be a blessing. In you shall all the families, Genesis chapter 12, verse, verse, verse, verse, verse, verse two and three. And in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed. God told Abraham that. So, Abraham has been working with God for a while now.

[8:13] He's been to Egypt, been to all kinds of places and settled and still he didn't have a child. Now, God, he, he, he, he, with all his achievements, something was missing.

[8:24] Am I talking to somebody? He had so much wonderful, beautiful, great achievements. But something is not just something, something essential, something necessary was missing.

[8:35] And so, when God said, came to himself, fear no, I'm your shield, I see you in the great world. He said, Lord, but seeing that I go childless, you give me your behalf. And then he tells God that this is what actually is going to happen.

[8:46] God said, that's not what is going to happen. Who told you? You are going to have a child. That's what God. He said, one from your own body. One who will come from, let's look at it. One who will come, one who shall be, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.

[9:01] Then he brought him outside, and this is all in a vision, brought him outside, outside and said, look now towards seven and count the stars if you are, you are able to number them. And he said to him, so God said to him, so in reference to the stars, so shall thy seed or your descendants be.

[9:20] Remember that very carefully. Yeah. Me? Childless man? God, all right. If it was you, how would you do you say, no, God? I have my medical records now.

[9:31] But you know what? Oh, look at the next verse. Let's all read the next verse from the screen together, verse six. Let's all read it out loud. From the screen, verse six. And he believed in the Lord. And the Lord accounted to him for righteousness.

[9:43] One more time. And he believed in the Lord, and he accounted it to him for righteousness. Who accounted it to him for righteousness? Abraham believed the Lord and Lord.

[9:53] So that's what God said. He believed it. Now, follow me very carefully. What did God tell him? You are going to have a child. He believed God. But he was not that so old. He was not that so old.

[10:04] So when he believed God, a whole chapter, sometimes the chapters can be several years. A whole chapter passed and nothing. So as soon as they entered chapter 16, like New Year's resolution. As soon as they entered chapter 16, Sarah, Sarai, his wife, came to him.

[10:20] And he said, I have a plan. I am not, since I am not giving you a child. Let me give you my handmaiden, my servant girl, the one who saves me. Let me give, because anyone who saves, in those days when you have a slave, everything the slave has is yours.

[10:34] So if my servant has a child, if she can produce a child, the child is technically mine. And so, Sarai came to him with a proposal. Please, go into my maid.

[10:44] Now, go into my maid. I hope you understand what that means. He said, go into my maid. Perhaps I shall obtain the children by her. And Abraham, he did the voice of Sarai.

[11:00] Why, he said, you would have done it. You would have done it. Abraham was about 85 years old when Sarai made a proposal.

[11:10] Right. And so he accepted it. And, verse 3, he accepted the proposal. Okay. Then Sarai, what? Then Sarai, Abraham's wife, took Hagar, her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband, Abraham, to what?

[11:28] To be his wife. To be his wife. She was no more a slave. She was not a wife. Even though she still belonged to Sarai. Abraham said, now that I may kiss the bride, let's get on with business.

[11:39] It didn't take a year. She was working. They were both working it. God. Thank you. What shall I say?

[11:51] Unto the Lord. Hola. You have produced something by the flesh and you are crediting it to God. Remember, remember.

[12:03] Chapter 15, verse 6. Abraham believed. So what happened in chapter 16? What happened to his faith? Oh, but that's faith. The faith was not fully. Because he started by faith when he was called.

[12:15] And then when God appeared to him, he believed that one. Faith was growing. But the faith was not really the way, where at the level God wanted it to, where it should be. And so when chapter 16 came, he quickly embraced the offer. That takes me to Romans chapter 4, verse 3.

[12:27] Is someone getting something at all? But I don't know. I'm not sure what I'm getting. Don't worry. You'll find yourself what I'm saying very soon. In Romans chapter, what did I say in chapter 1? 4. All right. Romans chapter 4.

[12:38] 4. Put your finger there. Go to verse 19. I'm sorry. Verse 19. But let's pick it from verse 18. Who contrary to hope in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations according to what was spoken.

[12:53] So shall thy seed be. You know, remember? It became according to what God spoke originally in Genesis chapter 15. Watch this. There's something interesting I found here. Verse 19. And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead.

[13:05] What had happened to his body? What has happened to his body? Dead. Already. Already. Not dying. Dead. Watch this. His body already dead. Since he was about how old?

[13:17] Think about it. All right. So he wasn't weak in faith, not considering his body already dead. Because his age, he was about 100 years old and the body was dead. Listen to this very carefully. No, the deadness of Sarah's womb.

[13:27] We should have been okay if we say Sarah's womb was already dead. Because then Abraham was so active because he produced Ishmael. But I want to submit to you that between the time Ishmael came and this time, he's now dead. Because by the time Ishmael came, he wasn't dead.

[13:40] The time Ishmael was born, he was 85. Or 86. Yes, around that time. 86. When Ishmael was born. But now how old was he? Remember, before Ishmael was born, a few years before then, God had appeared to him and said, you shall be a father of many nations.

[13:55] And he believed and it was accounted to him for what? Righteousness. Let's read down. Verse 20. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

[14:05] And being fully convinced that what he, God, had promised, he was also able to perform. Let's read that verse 22 together. Let's all read it. Let's go. And therefore, what is that therefore pointing to?

[14:21] Okay. Let's put it again. Verse 21. Verse 21. And being fully convinced that what God was. All right. Verse 21 is its continuation from verse 19.

[14:32] All right. Verse 19. That's why. So all this, not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body dead. Because how old was he? About 100 years. So that's why his body was dead. Sarah's womb was dead. Okay.

[14:42] But what is it? So he didn't consider. What did he do? He was, verse 20. Now, he did not waver or stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

[14:53] So these are all the things that he did at the time, at the time his body was dead. And then Bible says in verse 21. Look at verse 21. And being fully convinced. This is all part. Being fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to deliver.

[15:05] So at what state in Abraham's life was he going through all this? At the time his body was dead and Sarah's womb was dead. Then, so this tells you that it was after the birth of Ishmael. All right. Watch this. Bible says in verse 22. Therefore, because of his body, he didn't consider his body dead.

[15:19] He wasn't weakened in faith. He didn't stagger the promise of God. And he was fully, he was strengthened in faith. Therefore, it was accounted to him for righteousness. But Ishmael was born after chapter 15.

[15:29] Ishmael was born after chapter 15. It was chapter 15 verse 6. That was said, he believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness. At that time his body was not dead. So I'm submitting to somebody.

[15:41] This second was accounted to him for righteousness. It's different from the first one accounted to him for righteousness. And it certainly, it's different from chapter 4 verse 3. Where it says that Abraham believed it was accounted to him for righteousness.

[15:53] At that first one, the first time it was accounted to him for righteousness, his body was not yet dead. Read chapter 15. So chapter 16 says that, then Sarah said, let's get, let's get on with this. Take Haggai. Look at chapter 16 verse 16.

[16:05] Nice text to remember, isn't it? 16, 16 says that. And, ah, watch this. Watch this. How old was he? It's his. When Hagar bought Ishmael. So around 85, when Ishmael was conceived, he could have been early 86.

[16:18] When Ishmael, 86 years old. And before then, he had believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. But as time went on, his faith was weakened.

[16:29] And so he went to produce Ishmael. Are you ready for this? Look at the next verse. This is amazing. The next verse. What's the next verse? 13 years.

[16:40] 13 wasted years. Because he didn't wait for God. It plants 13 years into serious wastage.

[16:52] So, after Hagar was born, God kept quiet. You want Ishmael? Go on with your life. And I submit to you, Abraham and sons, you have to be careful when you are looking for something in life.

[17:05] If you're looking, it can make you vulnerable. It can make you, hey, this is not good, but I have to say it. It can make you step out of the course of your destiny. You have been desperate, so desperate for a man that you are going for someone who is younger than your first son.

[17:22] And he said, God, this one speaks in tongues. God, when sisters come to his pastor, this one goes to church. I know they know there's a problem there. But you are trying to use the church to embellish, make it look okay.

[17:35] But you know that the original product, the substance, the hypostasis. Pastor, he says he wants to marry me. But he goes to church. Just that he goes to church.

[17:45] Is he born again, Christian? Is he a Christian? He said, oh, he's a Christian. Because you know he's not born again. The way he's been pursuing you to, you know. Then he said, oh, the Bible. He said, what, Bible?

[17:56] Do you still believe in all these things? The person has told you I don't believe in the Bible. I don't believe in all these things. And you are saying, Pastor, he goes to church every now and then. He goes to the, at least the safer one you will say.

[18:06] He goes to the Catholic Church. He goes to Anglican Church. Be careful. But you know God is a good God. Because God didn't give up on Abraham. Do you know why? When Echewan was 86 and he produced Ishmael, we didn't hear any record again.

[18:20] God just left him. Left him. Left him to himself. And then later on, God appeared to him. And he said, Abraham! God, when he was 99 years old, that is when he believed God. Because now I can't have a child.

[18:31] It is too late. But he believed God and that's why was also accounted to him. So 13 wasted years for Abraham and Sons Incorporated. Are you where God has asked you to stay? Are you where God has asked you to stay?

[18:42] Are you doing the thing God laid out? Because now it's no more fashionable. Your friends are all going this way. So you also decided to join them. Or your family likes it this way. So you also decide to join them. In spite of the fact that you know God has told you.

[18:55] You know this is what God is expecting of you. Stay where God asks you to stay. Get over your thirst. Get over your selfish desires. Egotistic desires. Get over it. Get over it.

[19:06] Don't go and join some bunch and run out. Stay where God asks you to stay. Because at the end of the day, I've been saying this of late, very often. That I discovered, and I'm discovering more. That when you don't do it God's way, sometimes the repercussion is not in a year.

[19:18] It's not in two years. It's not in three years. Sometimes after 15 years or 20 years, that's when the regret hits. Oh, so God came to Abraham. Dating worsted years.

[19:29] Abraham. What are you going to do Israel? Listen to me. Let me tell you. That's it. That's it. When Ishmael comes in, and when God leaves you a bed, what happens is that check.

[19:40] That was the first time we actually saw Abraham had internal problems in his family. Abraham had family issues. His family didn't have peace. Because he's veered, wasted, and brought on him what shouldn't have been part of the package.

[20:01] But because God has a purpose. Say God has a purpose. Say it again. God has a purpose. God has a purpose. Because God has a purpose for your life, he won't give up on you.

[20:17] Hey, let me tell somebody here. You are nobody, and you don't have any right to write anybody off. Who are you?

[20:28] To write anybody. You don't have any right to write anybody off. In spite of what you think they have done, they don't deserve in life. Religious people write people off very quickly.

[20:39] We are very good at that, you know. You did this. You have done this. You have done this. You. You. You don't have any right other than that. God will shock you. Yes. The one you are writing off, you may end up depending on him to write you in.

[20:54] Yes. Yes. I will say, who made you a judge over the other? Right. We are good at that.

[21:08] No one has the right to write you off in spite of what you did. Yeah. Abraham was not written off. God came back to Abraham after 13 years, sir.

[21:22] After 13 years, God came back to Abraham and listened to God's comments in Genesis chapter 17. When Abraham was 99 years old, God came back to God.

[21:32] This one is not a dream. It's not a vision. The first one was a vision. Right. Right. Such a person doesn't even deserve a dream. You just have to send some animal to do something and got his attention.

[21:44] But God said, no, I'm coming. Yes. God came, appeared to Abraham and said to him, I am. That's the first time that phrase was used in the Bible for God.

[21:57] I am the almighty. The first time it was used was Genesis chapter 17 verse 1. When God was revisiting Abraham after the 13 years of wastage.

[22:10] He said, I'm only almighty God. The original word, the Hebrew word translated almighty God actually also renders and means unsufficient one. If I say I will do it, I am sufficient.

[22:22] In the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9. He said, my grace is sufficient. My grace is all you need is grace.

[22:35] Someone shall have grace. Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace. My grace is sufficient for you.

[22:47] Grace. Grace. My strength is made perfect, matured, full in weakness. Are you waiting for me to be weak before you show up?

[22:59] God about what we said. No, no, no, no. What you need is grace. What you need is grace. Let the weakness continue. But what you need is grace. Grace. Because once you have grace, grace is nullifies and neutralizes the negative impact and effects of weakness.

[23:14] Right. Weakness connotes insufficiency. Weakness connotes helplessness. Weakness connotes inability. You don't have what it takes.

[23:25] He said, what you need is grace. Abraham and sons. His need for sons and landed them in family crisis. His needs for sons. And because when God told him, Abraham, I'm your shield and your seedling great reward.

[23:38] The first thing he said is, where's my son? Where's my son? What are you going to do? You have got to know all this, but where's the son? Where's the son? And someone is going to a hurry. And they said, no, nobody. And Abraham said, oh yeah. He believed. But Sarah, after a while, Sarah said, oh boy, let's help God's name to look good.

[23:51] Someone shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. So in Genesis chapter 17, God, the Lord appeared when Abraham was 99 years old, appeared to Abraham and said to him, I am almighty God, walk before me and be blameless.

[24:04] Do you know that Abraham made a mistake about Ishmael, but never, did he, did he see in scripture that he regretted about it? Abraham didn't show any remorse though. I think I made a mistake.

[24:15] Oh God. No. God was not pleased with Ishmael. But Abraham seemed to be okay. Because chapter 17 verse 18. But chapter 17 verse 17. Let's start from 17. 17 is interesting. Chapter 17. I like. 17, 17.

[24:25] All right. It's nice. Then Abraham fell to his face when he, and laughed because God has said to him, I'm going to give you a child. He fell to his face. Can you imagine? The guy fell to his face. Because now that thing is all gone. That's when he was 99.

[24:36] So he fell to his face and laughed and said in his heart, shall a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? God, you got it wrong. Jawah, wah, wah, wah.

[24:48] And then he didn't say about himself. He said, and shall Sarah, who is 90 years old, bear a child? It's too late now, God. He laughed. That's why it was funny. Joseph makes sense when God appeared to you, he said, Abraham, I'm the almighty God.

[25:03] All-sufficient God. I can't fix it. And verse 18. Look at verse 18. Look at verse 18. This is very interesting. Abraham said, oh, that Ishmael might live before you. No, he thought God was about to kill Ishmael. No, he hasn't even regretted about it.

[25:15] He's asking God, let Ishmael do. Let. Say Abraham and sons. Abraham and sons. He said, Ishmael. The guy had no. If he was, if I were him, I wouldn't even mention it.

[25:26] Ishmael to God. Because, no, that's where the problem came from. How have we even mentioned Ishmael? But he said, oh, let Ishmael leave God. Ishmael. Ishmael. What led to your detour?

[25:37] You are still befriending it. You are still befriending it. You are still hanging around that same pub that made you get drunk and you fell into trouble and you had... That sister that almost broke your marriage.

[25:55] Why are you still... Are you a fool? Why are you still talking regularly with her? You are still hanging around that thing. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. That same thing that led you to...

[26:06] Made you lose your education. Made you lose your... You are still talking around. Some people mustn't be around your life. Yeah. They are not enemies. But be wise.

[26:16] Yeah. You almost lost your marriage because you are following this friend who was advising you wrongly. Some of us, when it comes to matters of certain things or certain areas, you don't let your mom speak about your marriage again.

[26:29] Because she almost... She's always... You saw the marriage almost collapsed. Because of her advice. Constant advices. The thing collapsed. And by God's grace, Holy Ghost moved. Bend us a lot.

[26:39] And your husband cried and cried and said, God, it doesn't matter. I've given up everything. And now there's fire back in your marriage. And you are now going back. Your mom. Mom, what do you think about that soup you were talking about? Hallelujah.

[26:52] Are you guys seeing what I'm saying? Abraham was still toying around Ishmael. No, he can't reject his son. But don't be bringing him into serious conversations with God. Now, I'm saying that to let you know.

[27:02] Because Abraham is a man after he knew how to take care of his family. He was a family man. That's why he always wanted a son or children. So, listen to this. Abraham didn't...

[27:13] From Scripture, we don't see that he was sorry. He was upset about what he had done about Ishmael. That's why he's still hanging around Ishmael. That if a snake has beaten you before, when you see an earthworm, your former boss or your former work colleague, who you always used to go and eat lunch with, almost landed you into trouble.

[27:36] And you're going back with this colleague, back to be eating at those same restaurants. Even if you are dying, let those restaurants go and keep your peace of mind.

[27:50] Because you don't have to... Hey, listen. You don't have to mean bad to do bad. You just have to stay around badness and you will do bad.

[28:03] Oh, my heart is good. My heart is good. God knows my heart. God knows my heart. My heart is good. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it in the wrong way. Yes, most people who matter never mean it in the wrong way.

[28:17] Do you understand that? So, some things are not bad. Being friends with 17 Po is not bad. Going to eat at some places is not bad. But you know what it can lead to. There are some pictures you see on Facebook.

[28:28] Brother, don't bother to investigate. Because you went there sometime, you never came back again. Your leg was stuck.

[28:40] You said, oh, please stop. And because you put in... I think it was... You sat there. And enjoyed. There are a lot of cries. People have been crying.

[28:52] Most of them have been seen. I wouldn't do that. It's good. But it's a sign of remorse. It's a sign of beginning of repentance. And after church, you receive a phone call.

[29:06] Oh, you know, it's our brother, my friend's baby shower. It's one year old for their... Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Where? Tonight I'm coming there. You remember, hey, these parties are the things that have led me to be crying at the altar.

[29:19] Wasted... Thirteen years. Thirteen years. But they say, oh, this is why you can't miss it for anything. When they tell you, what? There's nothing you shouldn't be able to miss for anything because your destiny is also something.

[29:35] So, people, you get so charged, you say, ah, this one, I will pay anything for this. Be careful when you are getting yourself stirred up because when desires arise and it gets to a position, your mind shuts down.

[29:48] You know you are going into trouble, but I say, oh. You see yourself going. I'm not talking to somebody at all. You see yourself.

[29:59] But desires have grabbed you. You have been hijacked by desire. You didn't want to say it, but you don't know why the thing is flowing.

[30:09] Come on. So, have you noticed that the letter is always not enough? He wants more. Christian, by the way, we just finished speaking in tongues. Then the Holy Ghost says, oh, I'm coming.

[30:35] I'm the Holy Ghost. This one, I'm coming. This one. This one is so good. So, as a pastor, I know many people get into trouble without intending, without planning.

[30:51] That's why we have to be careful how we attack people when they are in trouble. We have to be careful. Yeah, what they did was wrong, but you have to be careful. Let's say someone has gone to steal from the bank or from a company.

[31:07] She's working at the bank and stealing a lot of money. now being arrested. Now you come. But I don't know what came on me to do this. Normally, everybody says that. I don't know what came on me. This last, it was growing.

[31:18] You could have controlled it from the beginning when it was a baby. Baby last is very easy to control. You can actually kick it with your leg. But when it matures. Head tight. Head tight.

[31:30] Every now one of us have desires. Don't be like you don't. You have desires. That chocolate is, look at you. You are eating this doughnut with, you can squeeze three liters of oil from it.

[31:48] and then it's not enough. You open it and put butter. Butter. Butter. Butter. Butter. Butter. Butter.

[31:59] I said today, ah, life is good. I've been working hard. You are killing yourself, brother.

[32:10] You are killing yourself. So, sometimes, the thing is crying in the fridge. The ice cream. Hey! I'm here! Some of these things look, you know, there are a lot of sicknesses that are related to your diet.

[32:24] Yes. So, what I'm talking about, I'm not talking about the way people look. That's where some of us get deceived. I'm talking about the thing that is controlling you. But God will help us.

[32:37] Amen! So, deal with Ishmael. Abraham, so God came to Abraham. Do you notice that in the beginning, read your Bible, Bible said, and the Lord came to Abraham.

[32:48] It was Abraham's idea for God to use him. It was God's idea. That's what it means to God of Abraham. He starts, so God, even though Abraham went out and was full of mixture.

[32:59] Let's look at the text, chapter 17, verse 1, and I'll finish. Look at chapter 17, verse 1. Let's see chapter 17, verse 1. And when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham.

[33:09] What did he say? Let's read it out together and said, let's go. I am the almighty God. Walk before me and be blamed. Did you see that? Now, the word blameless there also renders pure.

[33:20] Walk before me. That's your responsibility. He said, I can do it. I am the almighty God. I am the El Shaddai. I will supply. But now, there's a responsibility on you. Walk before me and be pure.

[33:31] Don't bring mixtures. There are too many things inside you. Walk with me. It's poor in the show. Walk before me and be pure. The blameless there means pure, which means without mixture.

[33:43] Walk before me and be pure. When some people are laughing, I tell them loud. Tell them. Let them know. Sometimes you don't have to. But in your mind, you know you are walking before God. You are walking before God and be blameless. And be blameless.

[33:53] Shout out to the Lord. So, that's what God told Abraham. He said, walk before me and be blameless. Responsibility comes on us. He appeared. He didn't give up on Abraham, which most of us would have done.

[34:04] Thank God, God is not a man. He's not a man. He will not give up on you. He will not give up on you. Tell someone, God will never give up on you.

[34:16] Tell another person, God will never give up on you. Because, it is the character, one of the characteristics of God, characteristic nature of God is he doesn't give up on those who are called.

[34:29] Be careful when you are dealing with someone who is called. God doesn't give up on those who are called. He told him, he gave him all kinds of things and then he said that, this is what I want you to do. You have to circumcise yourself and every child that is born in your house, including slaves who are born, they must be circumcised.

[34:44] Because, remove the flesh from what I want to do. Keep the flesh off. We need a flesh dealing cross to keep us focused and keep us going to our destiny.

[34:55] Amen. Flesh dealing cross. The cross will deal with your flesh. He said, remove the foreskin. Circumcise. Circumcision means remove the, everyone God is going to deal with, God is going to take you any further.

[35:07] He has to, first of all, he has to let you remove the, put flesh aside. Now, you can't call yourself among the chosen, among the God's people if you don't realize that God is the God of Abraham which means that he always will ask you to put the flesh aside.

[35:20] God is helping somebody here. Amen. I said, God is helping somebody here. Amen. Because, ask for your future is secure and is colorful. Amen. And is glorious. Amen. And it shall continue to be glorious.

[35:32] Amen. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Abraham's desire for sons, his focus on sons, brought all kinds of untold challenges into his life and he missed the caller.

[35:44] Wasted some years. Bakul came back. He said, Abraham, walk before me and be perfect. Walk before me and be blameless. Walk before me and be pure. And he says that every child that is born in your house, male child, circumcise them so that they can be in the covenant because God, God doesn't work with flesh.

[36:01] He knew Abraham it was a flesh problem but guess what? He waited for Abraham to be dead now for him to know that I can't produce anything now. But guess what? When God came to him, he believed.

[36:12] He believed that even though my body is dead, even though I can't produce, after I was 99 years old and God came again, said I'm going to give you a son and that's where God changed his name. He made a covenant with him, changed his name.

[36:23] You are no more going to be called Abraham. You shall be Abraham. Your wife, Sarai, will no more be called Sarai but Sarah. Sarah. A-bra- What was his name? Abraham. A-B-R-A-N.

[36:35] And then what happened? Abraham. A-B-R-H-A. Abraham. Abraham. Sarah. Sarai. S-A-R-A-I.

[36:48] Then remove the I and put the H. So that his original name, Jehovah, the H, which stands for his Hebrew name, Yahweh, that Jehovah was inserted in their name.

[37:00] He inserted his name. Listen, God will help you. Amen. Nothing is too late.

[37:11] Nothing is wasted. There is hope for your future. Amen. Things might have gone very bad. Guess what? Everybody experiences some bad things in life. It happens to people.

[37:23] Because you are a human being, it happens to people. Get over it and embrace the purpose of God for your life. As long as he has called you with the purpose, he will not give up on you.

[37:35] It doesn't matter who gives up on you. God will never give up on you. All you have to do is believe in him, walk before him, and be blameless.

[37:47] And this month, you begin to see signs and wonders. Yeah! Did you receive the word? Someone put your hands together for the Lord and shout out. Thank you for listening.

[37:58] To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Why don't you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Karis Church and subscribe to our podcast so you are always up to date.

[38:14] Be blessed.