Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm one of the pastors here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.
! Special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here. And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community.
And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good they don't need God's grace and no one so bad that they can't have it, which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word.
This week and next week, we are finishing our series in the story of Abraham, which you find in the book of Genesis.
The book of Genesis tells the story first of the origin of the world in chapters 1-11 and then in chapters 12-25, it tells the origin story of God's people, his people Israel, which begins with Abraham.
And so that's been our focus as we've been going from the end of chapter 11 to the beginning of chapter 25.
And we're doing that for two reasons. First, to prepare us to go back into our sermon series in the book of Romans.
There we're going to pick up in chapter 4 in just a couple weeks, which tells, again, the story of Abraham.
So we've been looking at Abraham to prepare us to look at Abraham.
We're doing it for a second reason, which is that it allows us to ask this question,
what does it look like to follow God in faith?
Last week, we were in chapter 23, the death of Sarah.
And we saw once again that God did what he said he would do in the burial plot.
He was continuing the process of giving the land that he had promised.
This week, we turn to chapter 24, the story of Isaac and Rebecca.
And I have both good news and bad news for you.
Bad news, this passage is really long.
Good news, this story is really fun.
And so I'm just going to invite you to really get lost in it as we read it.
It's a long passage. It's a rich story.
I am simply not going to be able to say the many number of things that could be said.
So I want you to enjoy the narrative.
We're going to skim the surface.
I'm not going to retell the story very much.
We're just going to draw out a couple truths from this chapter.
We're going to see God's faithfulness.
We're going to see his faithfulness through generations.
We're going to see his faithfulness to Abraham.
We're going to see God's faithfulness through generations.
We're going to see God's faithfulness to Abraham.
It's with that that I invite you to turn with me to Genesis chapter 24.
You'll find it in your worship guide.
You can find it on your phone.
You can find it in your Bible.
No matter where you find it, remember that this is God's word.
Proverbs chapter 30 verse 5 tells us every word of God proves true.
He's a shield to those who take refuge in him.
So that's why we read now Genesis chapter 24 starting at verse 1.
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years.
And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household,
who had charge of all that he had,
put your hand under my thigh,
that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of earth,
that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites,
among whom I dwell,
but will go to my country and to my kindred
and take a wife for my son Isaac.
The servant said to him,
perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land.
Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?
Abraham said to him,
see to it that you do not take my son back there.
The Lord, the God of heaven,
who took me from my father's house
and from the land of my kindred
and who spoke to me and swore to me
to your offspring I will give this land,
he will send his angel before you
and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
But if the woman is not willing to follow you,
then you will be free from this oath of mine.
Only you must not take my son back there.
So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master,
and swore to him concerning this matter.
Verse 10.
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed,
taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master.
And he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor.
And he made the camels kneel down outside the city
by the well of water at the time of evening,
the time when women go out to draw water.
And he said,
O Lord, God of my master Abraham,
please grant me success today
and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.
Behold, I am standing by the spring of water
and the daughters of the men of the city
are coming out to draw water.
Let the young woman to whom I shall say,
please let down your jar that I may drink.
And who shall say, drink, and I will water your camels.
Let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac.
By this I shall know that you have shown
your steadfast love to my master.
Verse 15.
Before he had finished speaking,
behold, Rebekah,
who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah,
the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother,
came out with her water jar on her shoulder.
The young woman was very attractive in appearance,
a maiden whom no man had known.
She went down to the spring
and filled her jar and came up.
Then the servant ran to meet her and said,
please give me a little water to drink from your jar.
She said, drink, my lord.
And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand
and gave him a drink.
When she had finished giving him a drink,
she said, I will draw water for your camels also
until they have finished drinking.
So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough
and ran again to the well to draw water.
And she drew for all his camels.
The man gazed at her in silence
to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
Verse 22.
When the camels had finished drinking,
the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel
and two bracelets for her arms weighing 10 gold shekels
and said, please tell me whose daughter you are.
Is there room in your father's house
for us to spend the night?
She said to him,
I am the daughter of Bethuel,
the son of Milcah,
whom she bore to Nahor.
She added,
we have plenty of both straw and fodder
and room to spend the night.
The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord and said,
blessed be the Lord,
the God of my master Abraham,
who has not forsaken his steadfast love
and his faithfulness toward my master.
As for me,
the Lord has led me in the way
to the house of my master's kinsmen.
Then the young woman ran
and told her mother's household about these things.
Verse 29.
Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban.
Laban ran out toward the man to the spring.
As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets
on his sister's arms
and heard the words of Rebecca, his sister,
thus the man spoke to me,
he went to the man.
And behold,
he was standing by the camels at the spring.
He said,
come in,
O blessed of the Lord.
Why do you stand outside?
For I have prepared the house
and a place for the camels.
So the man came to the house
and unharnessed the camels
and gave straw and fodder to the camels.
And there was water to wash his feet
and the feet of the men who were with him.
Then food was set before him to eat.
But he said,
I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.
He said,
speak on.
Verse 34.
So he said,
I am Abraham's servant.
The Lord has greatly blessed my master
and he has become great.
He has given him flocks and herds,
silver and gold,
male servants and female servants.
These,
excuse me,
camels and donkeys.
And Sarah,
my master's wife,
bore a son to my master
when she was old
and to him he has given
all that he has.
My master made me swear,
saying,
you shall not take a wife for my son
from the daughters of the Canaanites
in whose land I dwell.
But you shall go to my father's house
and to my clan
and take a wife for my son.
I said to my master,
perhaps the woman will not follow me.
But he said to me,
the Lord before whom I have walked
will send his angel with you
and prosper your way.
You shall take a wife for my son
from my clan
and from my father's house.
Then you will be free from my oath
and when you come to my clan
and if they will not give her to you,
you will be free from my oath.
Verse 42.
I came today to the spring
and said,
O Lord,
the God of my master Abraham,
if now you are prospering
the way that I go,
behold,
I am standing by the spring of water.
Let the virgin who comes out
to draw water
to whom I shall say,
please give me a little water
from your jar to drink
and who will say to me,
drink and I will draw
for your camels also.
Let her be the woman
whom the Lord has appointed
for my master's son.
Verse 45.
Before I had finished,
speaking in my heart,
behold,
Rebecca came out
with her water on her shoulder
and she went down
to the spring
and drew water.
I said to her,
please let me drink.
She quickly let down her jar
from her shoulder
and said,
drink
and I will give
your camels drink also.
So I drank
and she gave the camels
drink also.
Then I asked her,
whose daughter are you?
She said,
the daughter of Bethuel,
Nahor's son,
who milk aboard to him.
So I put the ring on her nose
and the bracelets on her arms.
Then I bowed my head
and worshiped the Lord
and blessed the Lord,
the God of my master Abraham,
who had led me
by the right way
to take the daughter
of my master's kinsman
for his son.
Now then,
if you are going to show
steadfast love
and faithfulness
to my master,
tell me.
And if not,
tell me,
that I may turn
to the right hand
or to the left.
Verse 50,
Then Laban and Bethuel
answered and said,
The thing has come
from the Lord.
We cannot speak to you
bad or good.
Behold,
Rebecca is before you.
Take her and go
and let her be
the wife of your master's son
as the Lord has spoken.
When Abraham's servant
heard their words,
he bowed himself
to the earth
before the Lord.
And the servant
brought out jewelry
of silver and of gold
and garments
and gave them to Rebecca.
He also gave
to her brother
and to her mother
costly ornaments.
And he and the men
who were with him
ate and drank
and they spent
the night there.
When they arose
in the morning,
he said,
Send me away
to my master.
Her brother
and her mother said,
Let the young woman
remain with us a while,
at least ten days.
After that,
she may go.
But he said to them,
Do not delay me
since the Lord
has prospered my way.
Send me away
that I may go
to my master.
They said,
Let us call
the young woman
and ask her.
And they called Rebecca
and said to her,
Will you go
with this man?
She said,
I will go.
So they sent away
Rebecca their sister
and her nurse
and Abraham's servant
and his men.
And they blessed Rebecca
and said to her,
Our sister,
may you become
thousands of ten thousands
and may your offspring
possess the gate
of those who hate him.
Then Rebecca
and her young women
arose and rode
on the camels
and followed the man.
Thus the servant
took Rebecca
and went on his way.
Now Isaac had returned
from Bir Lahai Roy
and was dwelling
in the Negev.
And Isaac went out
to meditate
in the field
toward evening.
And he lifted up
his eyes and saw
and behold,
there were camels coming.
And Rebecca
lifted up her eyes
and when she saw Isaac,
she dismounted
from the camel
and said to the servant,
Who is that man
walking in the field
to meet us?
The servant said,
It is my master.
So she took her veil
and covered herself.
And the servant
told Isaac
all the things
that he had done.
Then Isaac brought her
into the tent
of Sarah his mother
and took Rebecca
and she became his wife
and he loved her.
So Isaac was comforted
after his mother's death.
I invite you to pray
as we come to this portion
of God's word.
Our Father in heaven,
we do praise you
and thank you
for your providence
and work in this world
that you arrange
all things
for our good
and for your glory.
We ask that you would do that
with this passage
this morning,
that you would
open our eyes
once again
to see
your great mercy
and work
in our lives
and in the world
that we would grow
in our wonder
and our love for you.
We ask these things
in the mighty name
of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
If you
ever go to the theater
and you watch a movie,
you know
that it can be,
well, maybe you know,
a little bit dangerous
to walk out
right as the credits
are starting.
Although that's
what some people do.
And it's dangerous
to walk out
when the credits
are starting
because you never know
if there's going
to be another scene.
Right?
Sometimes in the middle
of the credits
a scene appears,
sometimes after
the credits.
You know,
a teaser for the next
movie appears.
This is called
a stinger
or a credit cookie.
Happens all the time.
You can find a list
of every single one
documented on Wikipedia.
Last year,
this happened
in Captain America,
Brave New World,
which I know
all of you watched.
Captain America
defeats the Red Hulk.
The credits roll.
And after the credits,
this villain,
Sam Stern,
shows up
to talk to Captain America
and he tells him,
by the way,
there are other worlds.
There's a whole multiverse.
You thought you defeated
the Red Hulk
and it was all good?
No,
there's probably going to be
other threats
from other universes.
So you've won that battle.
The war isn't over.
And even more importantly,
not only is the war not over,
there will be another movie.
Right?
That's the point.
Here,
as we're coming near
the end of the Abraham story,
we are in the middle
of the credits.
Okay?
It started last week
with the death of Sarah.
Chapter 22
is kind of the end
of the Abraham story, right?
Chapter 21,
Isaac is born.
Wow,
the tension that's driven
the entire plot
is finally resolved.
Chapter 22,
we have this final test.
You know,
is Abraham going to remain faithful
when God asks him
for such a sacrifice?
Then last week,
chapter 23,
the death of Sarah.
Next week,
chapter 25,
the death of Abraham.
It's all over.
Except.
Right?
Except.
The battle for Abraham
is over.
over.
The war is not.
Remember,
God made this promise
in Genesis chapter 12,
which was then repeated.
You're going to be
the father of many nations.
And the question was,
how is this going to happen
when I'm so old
and Sarah's so old
and she's not going to be able
to have children?
And so all of that
drives us to the birth of Isaac
and Isaac is finally born.
Great.
Abraham is still
not a great nation.
And that will only happen
if Isaac himself
marries
and has children.
And so we are not even close
to the end
of the story.
The death of Sarah, though,
signals this transition,
this passing of the baton
off to the next generation.
Unless the Lord returns,
every single one of us
will exit stage left.
There is a sense in which
my job
is to prepare this church
for its next pastor.
And there is a sense in which
it is our job
to prepare this church
for the next congregation.
This church was founded
in 1996.
And there are only
two people in the room
right now
who were there.
Abraham's story
is over.
Look what it tells us
in verse 1.
Abraham was old,
advanced in years.
Abraham's story is over.
There is still work
to be done.
Abraham's story is over.
The mission
is not complete.
This particular challenge
has ended.
There is still
so much more
to do.
Point is this.
The challenge
of faith
continues
generation
to generation.
The challenge
of faith
continues
generation
to generation.
It continues
your entire
life.
Yes,
verse 1 is true.
Abraham is old.
But
Abraham's work
is not
done.
Abraham is old.
His work
is not done.
You know this
in your own life
if you've lived
long enough.
It never
stops.
Okay,
you reach retirement.
Great.
time to raise
up the next
generation.
You raised
your kids.
Great.
And then
what happens
next?
Your kids
have kids.
The work
does not
end.
Maybe your kids
love the Lord,
right,
and you have a
sigh of relief.
It's not over.
Well,
their kids
rise up
to know
the Lord.
And maybe
they do.
Maybe you're
like my
grandmother.
You have
multiple
great
grandchildren,
right?
And so
the question
begins
all over
again.
One generation
stands for
truth and
wins the
battle.
And it
can be
all
lost
by the
next.
The
basketball
player
J.J.
Reddick
says,
you never
arrive,
you are
always
becoming.
And I'll
change that
quote to
this.
You never
arrive,
you're always
following God
in faith.
Never
arrive,
you're always
following God
in faith.
And that's
discouraging
news in a
sense,
right,
to say,
well,
it's never
over.
You might
think,
no,
I was
hoping it
would end
at some
point,
right?
I was
hoping at
some
point I
could put
my feet
up.
It's
discouraging
news unless
until we
remember a
greater truth.
Yes,
it's true
that you've
never arrived.
It is
also true
that God
is faithful
again and
again.
God is
faithful
generation
to
generation.
Your
challenges
in this
life do
not
end.
Neither
does
God's
faithfulness.
And that's
what we see
in this
story.
In every
step,
God is
at work
guiding
Abraham's
servant.
One of the
key words
that appears
over and
over here
is this
idea of
success or
prospering.
So track
with me here
for a second.
You have
verse 12.
He said,
O Lord,
God of my
master Abraham,
please grant
me success.
The servant
realizes God's
going to have
to show up
for this to
work.
If his
promises will
be fulfilled
and generation
to generation
will continue
until Abraham
becomes the
father of
many nations,
God must
act.
So that's
his prayer
in verse 12.
Then we get
to verse 21.
The man
gazed at her
in silence
to learn
whether the
Lord had
prospered his
journey or
not.
So it's the
same question,
right?
We could talk
all day about
the servant
and his
faithfulness
and that
would be
true.
But what
is more
true and
more important
is God's
work and
God's
faithfulness.
It keeps
going through
all that we
read.
Verse 40.
He said
to me,
the Lord
before whom
I have
walked will
send his
angel with
you and
prosper your
way.
Verse 42.
And if
now you are
prospering the
way that I
go.
Go with
me to
verse 36.
56.
He said
to them,
do not delay
me since the
Lord has
prospered my
way.
And why
is God
prospering
his way?
Well,
there's
another word
that appears
over and
over.
The servant
keeps returning
to God's
steadfast love.
Remember,
we've talked
about this
before.
It's the
Hebrew word
hesed,
which the
children's
storybook
Bible tells
us means
God's
never ending,
never stopping,
never giving
up, always
and forever
love.
So go back
again to
verse 12.
We looked
at this just
a second
ago.
Please grant
me success
today and
show
steadfast
love.
Verse 14,
he gives
this prayer.
The end
of verse
14,
by this
I shall
know that
you have
shown
steadfast
love.
Verse 27,
blessed
be the
Lord,
the God
of my
master
Abraham,
who has
not
forsaken
his
steadfast
love.
God
is
faithful.
God
is more
faithful
still.
There's
tons of
faith here.
It only
works
because of
God's
faithfulness.
God's
faithfulness
to honor
his promise,
to continue
the line
that he's
begun.
Of course,
it happens,
right,
because the
servant actually
finds a
wife.
It actually
works.
He goes
out,
gets what
he needs.
If you've
been with
us,
I don't
need to
tell you
at this
point that
one of
the major
themes of
Abraham's
story is
God's
faithfulness to
his promises.
What we've
been saying
over and
over,
that God
will do
what he
said he's
going to
do.
And you
might be
thinking at
this point,
well,
you know,
why are
we still
just saying
the same
thing over
and over?
You know,
you get to
this point
sometimes when
you're in a
narrative and
you think the
preacher doesn't
have a new
point,
right?
He's just
repeating the
same thing
over and
over.
Here we are
talking about
God's
faithfulness
again,
but there's
a specific
angle and
detail that
we're zoned
in on,
and it's
this.
Not God's
faithfulness
in general,
but his
faithfulness
throughout
the ages.
God's
faithfulness
generation
after
generation.
And so
we're not
just talking
about God's
faithfulness
to his
promises to
you in
particular as
a Christian,
which we've
covered before.
We are
talking about
his faithfulness
to his
church until
the end of
the age.
I don't
know if
Cheyenne
Mountain
Presbyterian
Church will
exist until
the end of
the world.
I hope
it does.
I don't
have any
reason to
believe it
won't,
but I do
know this.
God's
church,
his
capital
C
church,
will
not
fail.
And I
know that
because of
the character
of God
and the
promises
that he's
made.
Eight years
ago,
in the
summer of
2017,
I told you
guys a story,
almost none
of you were
here back
then,
about how
when I was
a sophomore
in college,
I went on
this study
abroad trip,
a trip to
the classics
department at
my college,
and so part
of it was
focused on
ancient
archaeology,
and we
had to
take this
final exam
after we'd
seen all
of these
sites across
the Mediterranean.
The last
question on
the exam
was this,
if you're
an ancient
building,
and you
would like
to survive
until the
modern day,
what do you
need to do
to make sure
that you make
it,
and you don't
fall down and
topple?
the answer
is this,
if you're an
ancient building
and you want
to survive,
you need to be
used continuously
as a place of
Christian worship.
That's how you
make it.
God's people,
his church,
his mission,
transcends and
outlasts every
earthly kingdom.
It is his
faithfulness,
generation
generation after
generation.
As you work
in this world
to make it
on earth
as it is
in heaven,
know this,
God cares
about that
more than
you do.
God cares
about it
more than
you do.
God cares
about this
church
more than
any of us
does.
God cares
about people
worshiping in
him and
following him
in every
generation
more than
any parent
in this room
can.
God cares
more than
you do
and
he will
finish
what he
started.
He'll
finish
what he
started.
Isaac
matters
ultimately
because of
the promise,
right?
Because of
the promise,
Isaac must
have a wife
and the
promise matters
because it
is through
Isaac that
Jesus ultimately
is going to
come.
Matthew
chapter 1
when we go
to the
New Testament
we have
Jesus'
genealogy
which starts
with Abraham.
It shows
us how
God's promise
is fulfilled
from Abraham
all the way
to Christ.
Luke
chapter 1
which we
read this
morning,
page 3
of your
worship guide.
You might
be wondering
why did
we read
Mary's
song
when we're
talking about
Abraham?
Well,
look with
me what
she says
in verse
50.
His mercy
is for
those who
fear him
from
generation
to
generation.
Verse
54 and
55.
He has
helped
his servant
Israel
in remembrance
of his
mercy
as he
spoke to
our fathers
to Abraham
and his
offspring
forever.
brothers
and sisters,
it is not
just or
simply that
God will
do what
he said
he would
do.
It is
that in
doing it
God will
finish what
he started.
He will
finish it
for you.
He will
finish it
in his
church.
It's what
we sang
earlier this
morning.
We will
stand as
children of
the what?
the promise.
We will
fix our
eyes on
him,
our soul's
reward.
Till the
race is
finished and
the work
is done,
we'll walk
by faith
and not
by sight.
And by the
way,
unless you're
dead,
the work
is not
done.
some of
you all
remember,
we had
congregants
before who
have been
in their
90s and
I tell
people,
you know
they're
serving the
church and
the way
that they
serve the
church when
they're in
their 90s
or even
in the
triple
digits is
they pray
faithfully
to God.
There is
always a
task before
us when
we're on
this earth.
It's not
just that God
is faithful
though,
generation to
generation,
we also
see his
faithfulness
in growing
and refining
Abraham.
I mentioned
this before
in our
confession of
faith,
Andy said
last week,
you know,
Abraham is
kind of a
dummy.
Abraham is
kind of a
dummy.
Abraham has
many failures.
Genesis
chapter 12,
right after God
made this
promise to
him,
he lies to
Pharaoh about
Sarai,
right?
And then God
has to come
rescue them.
Genesis
chapter 16,
Abraham and
Sarah don't
trust God's
promise and
so they have
to create
their own
alternative by
having a
child through
Hagar.
Genesis
chapter 20,
Abraham lies
again,
this time to
Abimelech.
God rescues
him again.
But,
at the
very end,
Abraham is
not a
dummy
anymore.
When he
is almost
finished,
Abraham
has this
unshakable
faith.
Here he is
only trusting
and obedient.
There are
two different
mistakes Abraham
could make in
this situation,
right?
He knows
his son
needs a
wife,
right?
So we see
this at the
very beginning.
The first
mistake would
be for his
son to
marry a
Canaanite.
Look with
me at
verses 3
and 4.
He makes
him swear
with his
hand under
his thigh.
Don't ask
about that.
you will
not take
a wife
or my
son from
the
daughters
of the
Canaanites
among whom
I dwell.
No matter
what happens,
we will
not compromise.
And who's
saying this?
It's Abraham
who we've
seen time
and time
again
compromise.
But now
that is not
an option.
So that's
mistake one.
You could
marry a
Canaanite.
Abraham
has no
time for
that.
Mistake
number two,
you could
leave the
promised land.
That's
verses 5
and 6.
The servant
said to him,
perhaps the
woman may
not be
willing to
follow me
to this
land.
Must I
then take
your son
back to
the land
from which
you came?
And Abraham
is crystal
clear.
Verse 6,
see to it
that you
do not
take my
son
back
there.
Abraham
refuses
the
compromise
that he
has found
so
tempting
before.
In
verse 7
we find
out why.
Because
Abraham
has what
I've
called
this
unshakable
faith.
Look
with me
at verse
7.
The
Lord,
the
God
of
heaven
who
took
me
from
my
father's
house
and
from
the
land
of
my
kindred
and
who
spoke
to
me
and
swore
to
me
to
your
offspring
I
will
give
this
land.
Abraham
believes
what he
doubted
before.
Abraham
finally
believes
that God
really
will
keep
his
promise.
What's
changed him?
Remember
Abraham's
failures
before
were driven
by fear.
Driven
by fear
that God
wouldn't
provide,
that he
wouldn't
protect
him
and
Sarah.
Fear
that God
needed
their
help
to
provide
a
child
through
Hagar.
Now
finally,
as he's
at the
end of
his
life,
Abraham
has
seen
God's
faithfulness
again
and
again.
He's
seen
God's
faithfulness
that Sarah
gave
birth
in her
old
age.
He's
seen
God's
faithfulness
chapter
22.
Remember,
the
ram was
provided
instead
of
Isaac
and
what
does
Abraham
say
at this
point?
On the
mountain
of the
Lord,
he
will
provide.
Abraham
has
seen
God
provide
over
and
over.
Abraham
has
struggled
and
stumbled
for many
years.
And
at the
end,
God
has
used
all of
those
things
to
produce
a
sweet
fruit.
At
the
end,
God
has
shown
Abraham
his
faithfulness
in the
midst of
Abraham's
failure
and that
has
grown a
man
who
trusts
God
more
than
anything
else.
Christian,
your
life
is
filled
with
stumblings
and
failures.
God's
faithfulness
still
shines
through.
Your
life
is
full
of
mistakes
and
compromise.
God
is still
at work.
God
is
growing
you
year
after
year
after
year.
God
is
making
you
more
like
Jesus.
You can
look with
me on
page
nine of
your
worship
guide.
You'll
find this
quote.
God
is
working
throughout
your
life
on a
scale
of
days,
years,
and
decades
to
remake
you
into
the
likeness
of
Jesus.
You
are
being
progressively
sanctified.
You
are
being
saved.
Christian,
God
is doing
a
beautiful
work
in
your
life.
In
the midst
of your
failure and
compromise
sin.
He is
shaping
and
forming
you
to look
more
like
Jesus
Christ
at the
end of
your
life
than you
did at
the
beginning.
He is
doing that
through the
sufferings that
you encounter
as he grows
your faithfulness
in him
because he
shows up
over and
over
again.
And I
tell you
that not
because it's a
happy sentimental
thought but
because God
has made a
promise to
you.
Philippians
chapter 1
verse 6,
he who
began a
good work
in you
will bring
it to
completion
at the
day of
Jesus
Christ.
where is
God
growing
your
confidence
in
him?
What does
it look
like to
follow
God
in
faith?
It means
trusting
that little
by little
day by
day.
He is
making you
more like
Jesus
Christ.
At the
end,
the very
last
verse of
this
chapter,
then Isaac
brought her
into the
tent of
Sarah,
his mother.
The
baton
has been
passed.
One
generation
has handed
off to
the
next.
God
is
faithful
generation
to
generation.
God
is
faithful
to you,
growing
your
confidence
in
him.
So that's
why we're
able to
sing,
take my
life and
let it
be,
consecrated
Lord to
thee.
God
to
God
you.
Let's pray.
Our
Father in
heaven,
we do
praise you
and thank you
that your
mercy and
your grace
mean that you
don't leave us
or abandon us
in the midst of
our sin and
stupidity and
foolishness,
but instead you
work through
them to grow
us and to
change us.
That's our
hope and our
only hope,
that we belong
to you.
We ask that
you would
remind us of
that this
morning,
that you
would grow
and create
in us an
unshakable
confidence and
trust in you
that gives us
peace and
joy and
boldness and
courage and
confidence and
humility.
We ask these
things in the
mighty name of
Jesus Christ.
Amen.