Please do open up your Bibles to Genesis 16.
!
Abraham falls, but the up, God makes a promise.
Evil fills the world, but God saves Noah.
Abraham is called, but almost destroys the promise, but God rescues.
As you follow God's people and his promise to save the world,
it isn't this neat straight line journey with no hiccups.
No, it's actually a real mess.
It's a rollercoaster of ups and downs.
That's why all of our lives are never just this neat straight line.
But we also see in Genesis, the rollercoaster never collapses.
It keeps going, because God's grace is always there to rescue and restore.
And this constant cycle of sin and grace, sin and grace,
it's there throughout Genesis because it is showing us
this is what life is like under God's promise.
This is the reality of being God's people in Christ's church.
It's not neat or perfect.
It's messy.
The Christian life is full of failures and sins and brokenness and even shattered families.
But there is something constant in our life that stops us from collapsing.
It is the grace of God.
The God who sees us and restores us and looks after us as we live under his promise.
And this chapter in front of us really captures the down and the up of the Christian life.
This is a very unvarnished and honest account of the messy reality of God's people.
And so if you are here tonight and you are thinking that Christians are just these glossy people
with picture perfect lives, I hope your assumptions will be dashed tonight.
Because that is simply not the reality.
But I also hope you'll see there is something even more beautiful going on in a Christian's life.
It is the grace of God who restores us.
And so this chapter is a story of two hearts, sin and grace.
Our mess and God's restoration.
And this chapter is here to help us to understand the mess of our lives.
To understand how we wander, why we doubt, how we end up in those downs and to warn us of it.
But this also shows us the God who restores.
Our saviour who helps the wandering and the broken and the destitute.
And he sees all our affliction.
So we're going to look at the two halves of this chapter.
The mess of sin and the grace when God sees us.
But first we need to recognise, we need to understand the mess of sin.
My first point today, the mess of sin.
This chapter begins with a double problem.
Did you see, look at verse 1.
Now Sarai, Abraham's wife, had borne him no children.
So not only is Sarai suffering the painful grief of childlessness, an agonising experience for so many.
But there is something even worse.
The child she hopes for is meant to bring blessing to the world.
That's the promise God made to Abraham.
Abraham's going to have a child, offspring.
And from him will come a great nation.
And through that offspring, God's blessing will reach the world.
God is going to save this world from the curse through someone coming from Abraham's family tree.
It's the same promise of the gospel we have today.
Except we know who the offspring turns out to be.
We can look back to see who Jesus is.
See the fulfilment in him.
But Abraham and Sarai can't look back.
No, they are looking ahead.
Waiting for God to act.
Waiting for God to do something.
But they don't see anything.
In fact, look at verse 3.
It's been 10 years of nothing.
Can you imagine how hard that is?
10 years of waiting.
I'm sure we all know that feeling when life seems bleak.
And God has made big promises for us.
Promises to be with us.
And love us.
But we just don't see it.
We don't see God working in our lives.
We don't see his promises coming true.
We wait and we wait and we wait.
We don't see light at the end of the tunnel.
And it can make us doubt God, can't it?
We wonder, where are you, Lord, in all of this?
And when that happens, we can either, by faith, wait on the Lord.
And even though we don't see him, we trust God that he is there and he is doing something in my life, even though I don't understand it.
Or we can just become bitter and replace that faith with doubt.
Well, look how Sarai responds, verse 3.
And Sarai said to Abraham,
Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.
What's she doing?
She doesn't see God working according to her timings and her ways.
And so she becomes bitter.
And she doubts God's character.
In fact, she blames God.
The Lord has prevented me.
God's done this.
God's set me up.
God's against me right now.
She thinks God is useless and can't and won't fulfill his promises.
And so, because of that, she starts looking at everything in the wrong way.
Like lenses over our eyes.
With the lens of faith, we may not see God at work right now, but we realize he is there.
He is at work and his promises never fail.
And so we see this problem in my life.
I may not understand it, but I know it's there for a reason.
But with the lens of doubt, we only see our problems as God is against me.
Or God is useless.
Or God can't really help me in this cursed world.
And so when we think like that, what do we try to do?
We try to fix it ourselves.
If God won't make me happy, then I'll take my happiness into my own hands.
Which is exactly what Sarai does, verse 2.
Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.
Go into my servant.
It may be that I shall obtain children by her.
If God won't bring this child, I will.
If God can't bless me, then I'll find the blessing myself.
So she takes plans into her own hands.
And she gets Abraham to sleep with her servant, Hagar.
And did you notice?
It's just like the Garden of Eden all over again.
Like Eve, Sarai doubts God's character.
Like Eve, Sarai tempts her husband with this plan.
And like Adam, Abraham listens to the voice of his wife instead of leading her.
And like the fruits, look at verse 3.
Sarai took Hagar and gave her to Abraham.
And like Adam and Eve, they try to find blessing without God.
This same pattern of sin continues east of Eden.
We see it with Abraham.
We see it with Sarai.
And we see it in our own hearts today.
When we don't see God working the way we want him to.
And we're dissatisfied with what the Lord has given us in this life.
And we aren't happy in the way that we hoped.
And maybe, maybe, like Sarai, it's the disappointment that God hasn't given me a family.
And we don't see light at the end of the tunnel.
And we can't see his plans.
We don't like his timings.
And the new creation isn't coming fast enough.
And so what do we do?
We doubt God.
And we take things into our own hands.
Well, if God won't fix my dissatisfaction, well, I'll find satisfaction somewhere else.
I'll find it in my work.
Forget church.
Forget Sundays.
Let's really do something with my career now.
Or if it's not God's plan to give me a family, well, I'll make my own plans.
And we get on the apps.
We start texting.
We say yes to those coffee meetups with that guy at work, the guy at the gym.
Or God isn't working fast enough with the pain in my life.
But drinking helps it instantly.
So I'll take it into my own hands.
This is what we do.
God has promised to restore Eden, but I can't see it, so I'll make an Eden for myself.
We may not realize it, but it is the attitude of, I can create blessing better than God can.
And in fact, in Galatians, in the New Testament, Paul looks back at this very moment with Sarai and Hagar,
and he says, what is going on here is actually, at heart, this is Sarai trying to save herself.
Abraham can either have a saviour child through Sarai, relying on God's promise, and therefore salvation will come by God alone.
By faith, God will be the one to fix the sin and mess of this world.
Or, Abraham and Sarai can have a child through Hagar, relying on what they do, their works, their plans, their efforts,
and trying to fix sin themselves.
What we have here is salvation by faith versus salvation by works.
And when we doubt God and try to fix our fallen life with what we do,
whether it be building a happy life our way,
or trying to cover up our guilt by living a better life,
either way, ultimately, we are trying to save ourselves.
But it doesn't work.
Because the only way out of this curse is for God to save.
To trust in God's promise, faith.
This is why Christ came.
Not for you to dig yourself out of this hole,
but for Christ to reach down and pick you up himself.
Not for you to work,
but for Christ to work for you.
And that is the choice set before us.
With our sin, with our guilt,
with whatever misery and pain we are going through,
and we struggle to see God,
or any light at the end of the tunnel,
will you leave it in God's hands?
Or will you take it into your own hands?
Well, this chapter warns us,
when we do take it into our own hands,
it only leaves us in a bigger mess.
Just look at the fallout of Sarai's plan.
Verse 4.
Hagar becomes pregnant,
and Hagar looked with contempt on her mistress.
Hagar looked down on Sarai,
mocks her.
I got pregnant and you didn't, Sarai.
And it sparks jealousy,
a rivalry in the household.
And verse 5.
Sarai says to Abraham,
this is all your fault.
I gave her to you,
and now look how she's treating me.
It's all your fault, Abraham.
Even though this was actually Sarai's plan.
But Abraham, he's stuck in the middle now.
And so verse 6, he says,
well, she's your servant,
you deal with her.
And so Sarai is harsh with Hagar.
Hagar makes her life a living nightmare.
And so Hagar runs away.
Away from Canaan,
away from the promise,
and away from God.
Broken family,
broken marriage,
runaway pregnancy,
shattered faith.
It is by any standard,
an absolute mess.
This is a very,
very low dip
in the roller coaster.
And how did it all start?
With doubting God
and taking things
into our own hands.
From that
to now this mess.
And this is showing us
something very important
that we need to know.
Sin
has real consequences.
Sin
never just
happens
in a vacuum.
No.
Sin
ripples out
into this world
and into our lives
and causes
real,
tangible mess.
Our decisions
to make an Eden
for ourselves
here on earth
without God,
it has consequences.
It can
shatter families.
It can
taint marriages.
It can
cause
rivalries,
jealousy.
And like
Hagar,
it can even
make people
run away
from God
altogether.
It is what we
painfully see
all around us
and it's what we
painfully see
in our own lives.
And these
consequences,
they can even
be long term.
The big one
here being
there is now
this child,
Ishmael.
and though
every child
is a wonderful
gift from God,
he will be
a permanent
reality in
their lives
now.
And that
family dynamic
is going to
be complicated.
And in fact,
this child
is going to
cause trouble
for generations
to come.
Did you see
that in verse
12?
His hand
will be
against everyone
and everyone's
hand against
him.
And he shall
dwell over
against all
his kinsmen.
This is
anticipating
the friction
between the
Ishmaelites
and the
Israelites.
Now this
isn't saying
that every
child brings
complicated
dynamics.
No, it's
not saying
that.
This chapter
is teaching
that sin
can have
short term
and long
term
consequences.
It causes
all sorts
of mess.
And what
makes it
even messier
is that
there aren't
clear-cut
goodies and
baddies
here.
It's not
sinners or
victims.
It's both.
Sarai
sinned with
this plan
but she
was also
sinned
against
by Hagar.
Abram
was sinned
against,
tempted by
Sarai,
but he
also sinned
by listening
to her.
Hagar
was used.
She was
treated
harshly
but she
also sinned
against
Sarai.
She
sparked
this
rivalry.
So not
only are
the
consequences
messy
but also
the
situations
that
start
them.
And this
is usually
the case
in the
mess of
our lives.
We are
very tempted
to think
we are
only
victims,
never the
sinner.
Now there
are cases
victims of
that.
Don't get
me wrong,
we don't
want to
ignore
real victims
of sin
but we're
so easily
tempted to
think we
are only
victims,
never the
sinner.
But most
of the time
it's messy,
it's both.
And it
takes real
humility to
recognise that
and to see
where we
have sinned
and in all
the mess
of it,
if we have
been sinned
against,
are we
responding
sinfully.
And this
chapter,
it's getting
us to
ask ourselves
that.
It is here
to warn
us of the
mess,
sinking
cause when
we doubt
God and
take things
into our
own hands.
And let's
not miss
this.
This is all
happening in
the church.
In this
chapter,
we aren't
in the
pagan nations.
We aren't
following the
lives of
unbelievers.
No,
this is the
very heart
of God's
people.
At this
point,
the promise
exists nowhere
else in the
world.
It is only
here in
this family
and what
does it
look like?
An
absolute
mess.
And this
shows us
what life
in the
church can
be like.
It's a
rollercoaster.
If you are
here thinking
that Christians
are just
these glossy
people with
picture-perfect
lives,
that simply
isn't the
reality.
This side
of heaven,
life in the
church is
messy,
full of
complexities
and difficult
family dynamics
and hurt
and sin
and all its
consequences.
And so
there will be
many here
tonight who
are going
through that
right now.
You may be
in that mess.
You took
things into
your own
hands and
it's all
gone wrong
and it
just seems
unfixable.
You don't
know where
to turn
and you
still don't
see any
light at
the end
of the
tunnel.
Well if
that is
you and
it's all
of us
really,
then we
need to
see how
God responds
to all
this mess.
In his
grace and
in his
gentleness,
God sees
us.
And this
is the
second and
the final
thing I
want us to
see tonight,
the grace
when God
sees us,
the grace
when God
sees us.
At this
point,
we're really
at the
bottom of
the roller
coaster.
Hagar is
pregnant and
vulnerable and
alone,
abandoned,
nowhere to
turn,
lost in the
mess,
literally lost
in the
wilderness
right now,
and now
very far
from God
and his
promises.
It's
rock
bottom.
But then
we hear
these very
beautiful
words in
verse 7.
The angel
of the
Lord found
her by a
spring of
water in
the wilderness.
A broken
woman,
nowhere to
turn,
a guilty
woman whom
the Lord
didn't need
to take
notice of,
but the
Lord found
her.
Just like
the lost
sheep,
isn't it?
And I
think it's
just such a
lovely phrase
that captures
how God
deals with
us.
He finds
us when
we're lost
in the
mess.
And when
he does,
he begins
to untangle
it by
speaking.
Do you
see,
God speaks
the exact
words she
needs.
He actually
speaks the
gospel here.
He first
of all
addresses her
sin.
He asks
verse 8,
where have
you come
from?
And where
are you
going?
He forces
Hagar to
reflect on
her life,
on her
choices.
And then
God calls
her back.
Return to
your mistress
and submit
to her.
Hagar,
repent.
Return to
the people of
God,
come back
to salvation.
And then
he promises
to bless
Hagar,
verse 10.
I will
surely
multiply your
offspring so
that they
cannot be
numbered for
multitude.
They're not
easy words to
hear,
but they are
such good
words.
And it's
what God
says to
everyone who
doubts and
wanders and
has taken
life into
their own
hands.
In our
mess,
God says,
repent.
Return to
my people,
and I will
bless you
even more.
God
brings her
back.
She
returns to
the promise
to God's
people.
God
begins even
to repair
the
relationships.
She goes
back to
Sarai,
but God
never holds
her sin
against her.
He doesn't
bring it
up.
She doesn't
have to
make up
for it.
She doesn't
miss out
on any
blessing.
God is
just so
gentle and
kind, and
he just
safely brings
Hagar back
into the
promise.
The
rollercoaster
dips, but
he never
lets it
collapse.
And he
only just
blesses her
even more.
It's like God
is saying
here, I
know what
you've done.
I know
what you're
going through.
Now come
back.
Let me
fix this
mess, and
let me
just love
you even
more.
We have
such a
generous
God.
And Hagar
realizes that,
verse 13.
So she
called the
name of
the Lord
who spoke
to her.
You are
a God
of seeing.
For she
said,
truly here
I have
seen him
who looks
after me.
And again
it's such
beautiful
language.
God is
the one
who sees
me in
my mess.
when you
have no
hope and
nowhere to
turn, and
you've made
a mess of
everything, God
sees you.
He doesn't
forget, he
doesn't
abandon, no, he
sees.
And he
looks after
you.
Just like
Hagar, he
comes to
heal and
restore, to
bring us
back and to
transform the
mess.
And how?
through
forgiveness in
his son.
Whatever
mess you
might be in
right now,
however much
you have
doubted God,
however far
you have
wandered,
whatever Eden
you have been
trying to
build for
yourself, if
you will
return to
the Lord
now, and
come to
the Lord
Jesus who
has come
to find
the lost,
when you
return, God
will only
look after
you.
And there
will be
complete
forgiveness.
Whatever
you've done,
he won't
hold it
against you,
he doesn't
tell you to
pay for it,
he doesn't
hold back
any blessing,
no, he
forgives.
And his
grace is
always there to
restore the
mess of our
lives, to
begin to
heal the
pain of
our failures.
He helps
us forgive
others.
He helps
us see where
we have sinned
in all this
mess.
And he
promises to
bless us
even more,
to finally
one day
restore the
mess completely
and make
all things
new.
There really
is a light
at the end
of the tunnel.
And so the
rollercoaster may
dip, but with
the Lord Jesus
it never
collapses, he
looks after
you.
In our ruined
lives, in our
affliction, we
can't take
things into our
own hands
anymore.
And so
what else
is there?
There is
the grace
of God.
But we
must realise,
though God
does find
and forgive
us, this
doesn't mean
the consequences
will go away
in this life.
Ishmael
doesn't go
away, does
he?
Sarai still
had to live
with Hagar.
these events
couldn't be
undone, the
consequences
don't disappear.
And so
likewise, we
may still
live with
the consequences
of our sin.
Maybe for
the rest of
our lives.
The memories
may still
remain, the
scars never
completely fade
this side of
heaven.
God doesn't
make our
mess disappear,
tear, but
he does
atone for
it.
And whatever
mess is
still there,
he gives
it a new
meaning in
your life.
Look at
verse 11.
Look what
God says
to call
Hagar's
child.
You shall
call his
name Ishmael
because the
Lord has
listened to
your reflection.
The name
Ishmael
literally means
God hears.
And look
what the
well was
called,
verse 14.
Be'er
lehi roi,
which literally
means well
of the
living one
who sees.
These could
be painful
reminders of
sin.
Ishmael
could be a
walking reminder
of Sarai's
doubts and
Abraham's
failures.
This well
could be a
haunting
reminder of
Hagar's
sin and the
low point of
her life.
But God
finds her,
forgives her,
and gives a
new meaning
to these
things.
With this
new name,
Ishmael is
now a
constant reminder,
a monument
of God's
grace.
Every time
they see
him and
say his
name, it
is not
their sin
God brings
up, it's
his grace.
They look
back at
this mess
and now
they can
just know
God hears
me in my
trouble.
And if
Hagar
were to
ever walk
past that
well again,
it could
have been a
painful monument
for her.
But now
she can
walk past
and God
tells her,
I don't
want you
to remember
your sin.
I want
you to
remember
God
sees me.
And that's
what God
has done
with the
monuments
of our
sin.
those scars,
those
consequences,
those
memories,
all that
mess,
the Lord
Jesus has
taken them
and not
only paid
for them
but transformed
them and
given them
a new
meaning,
a new
name.
They are
no longer
reminders of
our sins
and failures
but they
are now
monuments
of God's
grace to
you.
Those
scars
are
monuments
that God
rescued me
from that
life.
Your
past
is now
a monument
declaring
God
sees me
even though
I didn't
see him.
Our
foolish
choices
are now
monuments
that show
God
looks after
me even
when I
didn't
care about
him.
And the
Lord
Jesus
has washed
all my
guilt
away.
And so
if things
of your
past
still haunt
you,
if like
Hagar
you walk
past a
well that
could remind
you of
your failures,
let it
now remind
you of
God's
grace.
It could
overwhelm
us with
regret and
despair but
God wants
it to drive
you to
praise.
Praise for
his mercy
and grace.
And whatever
mess we might
be in right
now and it
feels like God
is distant,
like he
doesn't see,
trust him,
wait for
him,
hold to
his promises
right now
and never
forget you
may not
see him but
God sees
you.
And so
we can go
into this
week saying
those beautiful
words,
God sees
me and
God always
looks after
me.
Let's
pray.
Amen.