Well, the arrival of a newborn baby, if that has been your experience, is no small thing.
They have the habit of changing our lives and disrupting our schedules.
Our whole life is turned upside down.
Everything changes.
It is amazing how such a tiny human being can cause such an upheaval.
Well, the promised arrival of baby Isaac into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Abraham is no small thing.
In fact, the birth of Isaac changes everything.
It impacts the whole history of the world.
It's a birth that demands a response from each one of us.
You see, how we respond to the birth of Isaac will either lead to uncontainable joy or unimaginable misery.
Either uncontainable joy or unimaginable misery.
So what I want us to do this morning is to look at the promise of God in chapter 21.
And as we think about the promise, think about what our response to it is going to be.
So first, big long titles this morning.
Faith in God's promise leads to uncontainable joy.
You remember back in chapter 12, God had made the promise to Abraham.
He says, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.
And all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.
It was a promise that would restore broken lives and renew this disordered world.
The problem was, Abraham and Sarah had no son.
And no son meant no means of the blessing continuing.
In fact, they are now both very old.
Abraham was about to celebrate his centenary and Sarah was hitting the big 9-0.
The chances for them having a child and keeping the hope of blessing alive were as good as gone.
But let's remember who made the promise.
Look at verse 1.
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said.
And the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.
Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age.
At the very time God had promised him.
You see, what God said, God did.
What God promised, God fulfilled.
Now these kinds of things aren't supposed to happen.
OAPs don't have babies.
But that's precisely the point.
With God, the impossible happens.
God always delivers on his promise, even when we think it's dead and gone.
You see, God had promised to bless the nations of the world through the family line of Abraham.
And God was determined to make sure that that promise would be fulfilled.
That nothing and no one, not even an old age couple, would stop what God says he is going to do.
Now the promises are not just to be admired.
They are promises that are to be believed.
We could imagine the old couple, Sarah and Abraham, looking over their crib, cooing at baby Isaac as he gurgled away.
And with a big beaming smile, Sarah says, look at verse 6,
God has brought me laughter.
Of course, it's not the only time that Sarah laughed, is it?
Have a look back at chapter 18.
Go back to chapter 18 in verse 12.
Here Sarah has been promised that she will have a son.
And look at her response, verse 12.
So Sarah laughed to herself, as she thought,
After I am worn out and my Lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?
Then the Lord said to Abraham,
Why did Sarah laugh and say,
Will I really have a child now that I'm old?
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
I will return to you at the appointed time next year
and Sarah will have a son.
Go back to chapter 21.
You see, there it was a laugh of doubt and disbelief.
You've got to be joking.
That ain't possible.
But now the possible has happened.
The promise has been fulfilled.
And Sarah laughs.
A laugh not of disbelief,
But of sheer, uncontainable delight
In what God has done.
You see, deep down in the midst of all the doubting and wondering,
There was a fragile faith.
A faith not in her ability,
But in God's ability to do great things.
Now in chapter 21,
It's perhaps hard for us to detect
Where Sarah's faith is.
But scripture wants us to see
Sarah's faith.
The writer of Hebrews
Records it for us.
Can you follow there on the screen?
And by faith,
Even Sarah,
Who was past childbearing age,
Was enabled to bear children
Because she considered him faithful,
Who had made the promise.
You see, Sarah's faith
Is not a great faith
Or a confident faith.
It's a faith in the faithfulness of God.
You see, faith in God
Enables Sarah to know
The blessing that God had promised.
Yes, Isaac was her son.
She was delighted in having a son.
But there was something bigger and greater
Because through him
Would come the greater and ultimate son,
Jesus Christ,
Who would come to restore the broken lives
And renew this disordered world.
And now Sarah is beginning to have a taste.
To share in the blessing of God.
But what was Sarah's experience
Can also be our experience.
Look at verse 6 again with me.
Sarah said,
God has brought me laughter
And everyone who hears about this
Will laugh with me.
You see, the promise of blessing
Isn't just for Sarah.
It's for others too.
It's a joy that overflows
And is to be shared and experienced
By other people.
Do you see it there in the middle of verse 6?
And everyone who hears about this
Will laugh with me.
So how do we get to share
In Sarah's delight?
How do we experience
This uncontainable joy
That's bursting out of Sarah?
Well, it's all by faith.
Come with me please
To Luke's Gospel
Chapter 1
Luke's Gospel
Chapter 1
Because here we get to see
How and why
We can celebrate
And share in Sarah's delight.
You see, the birth of Isaac
Would ultimately lead
To the birth of God's son
Jesus Christ
The one who comes to
Renew the broken world
And restore our broken lives.
And with the coming of Jesus
The Saviour
There was lots of
Joyful laughter.
Mary, who was pregnant
With Jesus, God's son
Goes to visit her cousin
Elizabeth, who is also pregnant.
Now look at how
Elizabeth responds
When Mary comes to her.
We pick it up in verse 44.
So this is Elizabeth
Who's pregnant
Speaking to Mary
Who's come to see her.
Verse 44
As soon as the sound
Of your greeting
Reached my ears
The baby in my womb
Leaped for joy.
Blessed is she
Who has believed
That the Lord
Would fulfil
His promise
To her.
And Mary said
My soul glorifies
The Lord
And my spirit
Rejoices in God
My Saviour.
You see
Mary and Elizabeth
Rejoiced
They've come to see
That the promised
Saviour
Has come.
And even an unborn baby
Is leaping and jumping
For joy
That the Saviour
Of the world
Who will renew
And restore all things
Has come.
What a day
Of celebration.
But it wasn't just
For Mary
And Elizabeth.
It was a joy
For the whole world.
Look at Luke's Gospel
Chapter 2.
We remember
That the angel
Came to the shepherd
And look what he says
In verse 10.
But the angel
Said to them
Do not be afraid
I bring you
Good news
That will cause
Great
Joy
For
All the people
Today
In the town of David
A Saviour
Has been born to you
He is the Messiah
The Lord
Lord
You see
This is a blessing
For all people
As they come to faith
And turn to trust
In Jesus Christ
Now just as Sarah
Look forward
In faith
To the promised son
Jesus Christ
So we
Now look back
To Jesus
Who has come
The Saviour
Of the world
And that changes
Everything
For us
The apostle Peter
Understood this
He writes
Follow on screen
Though
You have not
Seen him
It's speaking of Jesus
Though we have not
Seen him
We love him
And even though
You do not see him
Now
You believe in him
And we are filled
With an inexpressible
And glorious joy
For you are receiving
The end result
Of your faith
The salvation
Of your souls
That's
Why
We sing
That's why
Ralph led us
With joyful praise
With all of creation
Singing
Of God's
Great salvation
Plan
You see
We cannot help
But express
Our delight
And happiness
In all that
God has given
To us in Christ
That everything
Has been changed
And our eternal
Destiny is secure
And we have hope
Today
And life
To come
You see
Faith
In the promise
Of God
Leads to
Uncontainable
Joy
Well second
Unbelief
In God's
Promise
Leads to
Unimaginable
Misery
Let's go back
To
Genesis
Chapter 21
Unbelief
In God's
Promise
Leads to
Unimaginable
Misery
The arrival
Of baby
Isaac
Caused
Quite an
Upheaval
Didn't it
Not everyone
Was celebrating
And sharing
In the joy
Some
Mocked
Look at
Verse 8
The child
Grew
And was
Weaned
And on
The day
Isaac
Was weaned
Abraham
Held a
Great feast
There was
There was a
Party
A celebration
But Sarah
Saw that the
Son whom
Hagar the
Egyptian
Had born to
Abraham
Was mocking
We of course
Know this
Son to be
Ishmael
And he isn't
Very excited
Is he
About the
Arrival of
Isaac
Ishmael
Is laughing
For sure
But he's
Not laughing
With Sarah
In joy
He's laughing
At Isaac
He's
Ridiculing
Him
He's
Despising
Him
He's
Verse 9
Mocking
Him
While others
Are rejoicing
At God's
Promised
Blessing
Ishmael
Is mocking
The promised
Blessing
You see
To mock
And laugh
At Isaac
Is actually
To mock
And laugh
At God
And his
Plan of
Redemption
Ishmael
At this
Stage is
About 16
Years of
Age
And should
Know better
And he
Sees Isaac
As a
Threat
Blessing
Well I'm
Going to
Find my
Own
Blessing
I don't
Need promises
From God
Or anybody
Else
I'll find
My own
Way through
Life
Thank you
Very much
Rather
Rather than
Faith
In God
He was
Opting
For faith
In himself
And to
Reject
The promises
Of God
To mock
God
To laugh
At God
Means
It has
Serious
Consequences
For mocking
God
Will mean
That you are
Cut off
From God
Look at
Verse 9
But Sarah
Saw that
The son
Whom Hagar
The Egyptian
Had born
To Abraham
Was mocking
And she
Said to
Abraham
Get rid
Of that
Slave woman
And her
Son
For that
Woman's
Son
Will never
Share
In the
Inheritance
With my
Son Isaac
He's not
Going to
Share in
That blessing
Now that
Might sound
Really harsh
To us
But Sarah
Is only
Acting
As Ishmael
Had already
Decided
By mocking
Isaac
Ishmael
Was placing
Himself
Outside of
God's
Promised
Blessing
We know
This because
God affirmed
Sarah's
Request
Look at
Verse 11
The matter
Distressed
Abraham
Greatly
Because it
Concerned
His son
But God
Said to
Abraham
Do not
Be so
Distressed
About the
Boy and
Your slave
Woman
Listen
To whatever
Sarah
Tells you
Because it
Is through
Isaac that
The offspring
Will be
Reckoned
The blessings
Are going to
Come through
Isaac's line
But sadly
Ishmael
Didn't want
Anything to
Do with
It
And the
Consequences
Of unbelief
Meant
Being cut
Off
From the
Blessings
Of God
Verse 14
So early
The next
Morning
Abraham
Took some
Food
And a
Skin
A container
Of water
And gave
Them to
Hagar
He sent
Them on
Her shoulders
And then
Sent her
Off with
The boy
She went
On her
Way and
Wandered
In the
Desert
In the
Desert of
I think
It's one
Of the
Most
Saddest
Verses
You see
Turning
Your back
On the
Promises
Of God
Is to
Be cut
Off
From the
Blessings
Of God
And rather
Than bring
Uncontainable
Joy
It leads
To
Unimaginable
Misery
Look at
The effects
Of turning
Away from
God's
Promise
They were
Immediate
And harsh
From a
Life of
Blessing
They now
Enter into
A life
Of curse
From a
Home where
There was
Plenty
Ishmael
Ends up
In a
Desert
That's
Empty
Verse 15
When the
Water in
The skin
Was gone
She put
The boy
Under one
Of the
Bushes
Then she
Went off
And sat
Down
About a
Bow shot
Away
For she
Thought
I cannot
Watch the
Boy
I can't
Look at
See my
Child
Die
And she
Sat there
And she
Began to
Sob
Can you
See
The misery
Of what
Happens when
We turn
Our backs
On God
Instead of
Life
There is
Death
Instead of
Blessing
There is
Curse
Instead of
Uncontainable
Joy
Unimaginable
Misery
You see
The promises
Of God
Are not
A small
Thing
They are
A serious
Thing
And it
Demands
A response
From each
One of
Us
Do we
Like Sarah
Welcome
And believe
The promise
Or like
Ishmael
Reject
The promise
It's a
Question
We are
All confronted
With
With the
Arrival
Of another
Baby
The
Fulfillment
Of all
God's
Promises
Jesus
Christ
The
Son
Of God
He
Confronts
Us
What
Are we
Going
To do
With him
To listen
To him
To trust
Him
Will be
Life
To ignore
Him
And to reject
Him
Will be
Death
And as we
Respond in
Faith to
God's promises
We are welcomed
Into his
Family
We receive
The gift
Of life
The forgiveness
Of sins
Fullness
And peace
We get to
Enjoy all
His blessings
Now and for
All eternity
But yet
To laugh
And mock
And turn
Our back
On Jesus
Is to be
Cut off
Yes we may
Find pleasure
And happiness
For a time
But it's
Never going
To last
It leaves
Us empty
Unfulfilled
Never satisfied
We'll face
An eternity
Separated
From God
Without
Hope
And without
Joy
Even as
Believers
We can be
Tempted to
Turn away
From Jesus
Can't we
Like Ishmael
We can put
Our trust
In self
And go
It alone
Pursuing
Life
Pursuing
Happiness
And joy
In things
And people
And created
Things
Instead of
The creator
God
Know the
Message
Is turned
Back
Trust
Jesus
He is the
Source of
All life
Infinite
Peace
And eternal
Rest
His word
Will satisfy
You
His presence
Will fulfill
You
Faith
In God's
Promise
Leads to
Uncontainable
Joy
But unbelief
Will lead to
Unimaginable
Misery
God's desire
Is that we
Would all
Share
In his
Joy
So what
Hope is
There
Well
Third
Hope in
God's
Promise
Leads to
Unbelievable
Mercy
Hope in
The promise
Leads to
Unbelievable
Mercy
Remember
We left
Ishmael
Outside of
The promise
Cut off
From the
Blessing
Of God
In distress
Her mother
His mother
Laid her
Dying son
Under a
Bush
Let's pick
It up
In verse
16
Then she
Went off
And sat
Down about
A bow
Shot away
For she
Thought
I cannot
Watch the
Boy die
I cannot
Bear it
And as
She sat
There she
Began to
Sob
Their lives
Are hopeless
And helpless
No chance
In the
Searing heat
No water
To revive
But as
Death
Begins
To close
In
We see
The
Unbelievable
Mercy
Of God
Look at
How God
Pursues
The wanderer
There's three
Things as we
Close to
Consider
First
God
Hears
Our cry
Look at
Verse 17
God
God heard
The boy
Crying
And the
Angel of
God
Called to
Hagar
From heaven
And said
To her
What's
The matter
Hagar
Do not
Be afraid
God has
Heard the
Boy crying
As he
Lies
There
Remember
This is
Ishmael
Who had
Mocked
God
Who had
Turned away
From the
Gift of
Blessing
But yet
God still
Hears his
Cry
It's as if
God is
Saying
Ishmael
You may be
Finished with
Me
But I'm
Not finished
With you
Ishmael
You may have
Put yourself
Outside of
God
But God
Is never
Outside of
Ishmael
Now we
May know
People who
Placed
Themselves
Outside of
God
Who want
Nothing to
Do with
Him
Maybe it's
One of
Your
Children
Maybe a
Spouse
Maybe a
Friend
But no
One is
Ever
Outside
The reach
Of God
It seems
That there
Is an
Offer
Of
Life
You see
God
Hears our
Cry
And God
Opens
Our
Eyes
Of course
Hearing the
Cry is no
Good unless
Something is
Done to
Relieve that
Cry
So verse
19
God
Hears
Now verse
19
God
Opened
Hagar's
Eyes
And she
Saw a
Well of
Water
So she
Went and
Filled the
Skin with
Water
And gave
The boy
A drink
It seems
Hagar was
In so
Much distress
That she
Doesn't see
The well
It's concealed
From her
So God
Intervenes
And opens
Her eyes
To see
That there
Is water
And the boy
Can drink
And as he
Drinks
He lives
And isn't
That what
God
Must do
For those
Who do
Not
Believe
He must
Open our
Eyes
So that
We see
In him
Life
In all
Its fullness
You remember
What John
Records for
Us in
John's
Gospel
There's
Another
Woman
At another
Well
And she's
Distressed
And Jesus
Comes to her
And says
Whoever
Drinks
The water
I give
Them
Will
Never
Thirst
Indeed
The water
I give
Them
Will become
In them
A spring
Of water
Welling up
To eternal
Life
I have
Come
Says
Jesus
To give
Life
In all
Its fullness
Can you
See where
Life is
So God
Hears
Us
God
Opens
Our eyes
And third
God is
With us
Look at
Verse
20
God
Was
With
The boy
As he
Grew up
He lived
In the
Desert
And became
An archer
And while he
Was living
In the
Desert
Of Paran
His mother
Got a
Wife
For him
From Egypt
Now going
To Egypt
Is never
A good
Move
In fact
Throughout
Genesis
Anytime we
Read of
Somebody
Going to
Egypt
It's always
A move
Away from
God
And that's
Where Ishmael
Is turned
But yet
The extraordinary
Thing is
God didn't
Abandon
Him
Look at
Verse 20
God was
With
The boy
As he
Grew up
It seems
That God
Doesn't give
Up so
Easily
Now I'm
Not trying
To say
All ended
Well for
Ishmael
It doesn't
If we
Follow the
Story
But what
I want
To see
Here is
The
Unbelievable
Mercy
Of God
Who doesn't
Give up
On wanderers
Like Ishmael
And if
Anybody
Rejects
God
It's
Never
Going to
Be
Because
God
Wasn't
Bothered
God
No God
Is
God is
Kind
God's
Mercy
Is
Long
Suffering
His
Countless
Interventions
In the lives
Of those who do
Not believe
And those who do
Believe
Every single
Day
His
Daily grace
And provision
His
Steadfast
Care
He loves
His
Creation
So what does
That mean
For us
Well I think
It encourages
Me not to
Be hopeless
When it
Comes to
People who
Express
Unbelief
Because
God is
Merciful
And kind
The promises
Of God
Are held
Out to
Them too
That means
I can cry
Out in
Prayer
For my
Friends
I know
That when
I cry
On their
Behalf
God
Who made
The world
Hears
He hears
What I have
To say
And I
Can ask
God to
Open the
Eyes of
Those who
Are blind
To Jesus
So that
They may
Know life
And have
Life in
All its
Fullness
Because I
Can't open
The eyes
Of anyone
But God
Can
And I
Can trust
That God
Is with
Those who
Turn away
And make
Sinful
Choices
And go
Further away
And I
Know that
The creator
God
Is always
Within striking
Distance
He is with
Them all
God is
Unbelievably
Merciful
You see
It doesn't
Matter
Who we
Are
Where we
Come from
Or what
We've done
There is
Hope
In the
Promises
Of God
So there
We have
It
The arrival
Of God's
Promised
Son
Teaches
Us that
Faith in
The promises
Of God
Leads to
Uncontainable
Joy
Unbelief in
The promises
Of God
Leads to
Unimaginable
Misery
But yet
There's
Hope in
The promises
Of God
Because it
Leads to
Unbelievable
Mercy
Let's
Pray
In the
Quietness
Maybe
Maybe you
Just want
To pray
For someone
Right now
Maybe
It is
One of
Your
Children
Your
Spouse
A
Friend
Maybe
You need
To pray
Yourself
Because you
Know you
Are not
Walking
In
Faith
You
Who Have
Not
Trusted
In
Jesus
Pray
Because God
Hears
Pray
Because God
Opens
Eyes
Pray
Because God
Is with us
Thank you
Lord for
Hearing our
Hearts
Cry
Thank you for
Opening our
Eyes to
Jesus
Thank you
That you
Are with
Us
And you
Have filled
Us
With joy
In Christ
Thank you
Amen
What we
Want to
Sing
Sarah
Laughed
Sarah
Laughed
With joy
At delight
In the
Promises
Of God
And we
Can laugh
With her
As we
Sing
Songs
Of joy
All my
Days of
Gladness
I only
Oh
Start
Again
All my
Days I
Will sing
This song
Of gladness
Give my
Praise to
The fountain
Of delight
For in
My helplessness
You heard
My cry
And waves
Of mercy
Poured down
On my
Life
How it
Reflects
What we
Have just
Looked at
Together
Let's stand
Together as
We sing
To
Help
Always
Chances
What caso
Is
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