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Chapter 24

Chapter 24. Chapter 24. How to find a wife. (Actually, “How to be led of God.”). Chapter 24. On line folks, please grab a Bible and read Genesis 24. It is a great story! Also, if you have downloaded this file, please drop a quick note to rev.steve@juno.com and let me know! Stay awesome!.

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Chapter 24

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  1. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 How to find a wife. (Actually, “How to be led of God.”)

  2. Chapter 24 On line folks, please grab a Bible and read Genesis 24. It is a great story! Also, if you have downloaded this file, please drop a quick note to rev.steve@juno.com and let me know! Stay awesome!

  3. Chapter 24 • How does God lead us? • Can we apply Eliezer’s experience to us? • Wouldn’t it be great if this was the norm? • In seeking a wife for me, my dad should have hired a matchmaker to go to Escanaba, Michigan. The matchmaker would have gone to a gas station there to ask a young woman for a Dr. Pepper. The young women would give him an extra large one and then offer to gas up his car, showing that she was the one that God had for me. • Further questioning would reveal that she was within then Olsen clan, affirming that the right woman had been found. • The young woman, of course, and her family, would quickly agree to go with the matchmaker to be the wife of someone whom she had never met. All that she would know is that I was rich.

  4. Chapter 24 • How does God lead us? • Thesis: • God leads us to right decisions through • Obedience • Circumstances • Conviction (Holy Spirit/ “mystical”)

  5. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • This account begins with Abraham’s desire to keep Isaac separate from the pagan cultures around him. He does not want his son being drawn away from God and his covenant by marrying into a clan that knows nothing of the true God. • Abraham has learned this the hard way. • Sarah and Pharaoh • Sarah and Abimelech • The Hagar thing • The demise of the family of Lot. • Perhaps Isaac has taken interest in the local girls, or at least, they are noticing the heir to Abraham, Inc. • He wants Isaac to remain an alien in the land of promise. • The Balaam effect: Numbers 22-24; Revelation 2:14 • Solomon: Deuteronomy 18: 16-17 • Obedience • Obedience

  6. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • This account begins with Abraham’s desire to keep Isaac separate from the pagan cultures around him. He does not want his son being drawn away from God and his covenant by marrying into a clan that knows nothing of the true God. • Eliezer is acting on Abraham’s desire to see God honored within his family group. Eliezer has been greatly affected by this, seeing that he depends upon God for the success of his difficult mission. • Abraham expects God to provide for his obedience. • Is this reasonable?

  7. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience We need to remember that God is leading us to be like him and not to a particular ending point. Character not geography. Christlikeness is the destination. “Lord lead me to the ‘right’ job.” or “Lord, place/leave me in a job where I can honor you.” or “Put me where I can grow in Christlikeness the most.”

  8. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • We need to remember that God is leading us to be like him and not to a particular ending point. • Character not geography. • Christlikeness is the destination. • To obey God is the most critical aspect of how he leads us. • If you will not follow what is clearly written, why should you • expect to be led in grey areas? How would you discern it?

  9. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Obedience • Circumstances In this case, God arranges things to work out just right for Abraham’s desire for Isaac to remain “alien”. Abraham fully expects God to work out the details. It is God’s responsibility to work out the details that we might walk with him. Note that Abraham said that even if the girl won’t come here, do not take him away from the land of promise. There is no compromise: obedience is primary. No excuses.

  10. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances In this case, God arranges things to work out just right for Abraham’s desire for Isaac to remain “alien”. Abraham fully expects God to work out the details. Rebekah does exactly as Eliezer requested that he might know that she was the one. (Note that she appears before he is done praying. God is anxious to fulfill his good request.)

  11. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances In this case, God arranges things to work out just right for Abraham’s desire for Isaac to remain “alien”. Abraham fully expects God to work out the details. Rebekah does exactly as Eliezer requested that he might know that she was the one. His request, if fulfilled, would tell something of her character. Did God tweek the events or the request? (regardless, He worked it out.)

  12. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • God given circumstances will never lead you away from obedience. (Bathsheba on the roof . . . / found wallet) • “ “God wills it!” because we can.” (Kingdom of Heaven film) • “Lord, should I fudge on my taxes a little?” • “My marriage is bad. Is it alright if I cheat just a little?” • “Should I take this job that will require me to lie?” • “I am low on lunch money. The cashier gave me $5 too much.” • “This product is mismarked. Is this God providing a discount?” • “I found a case of beer. God is leading me to get drunk!” • “God has not provided for us to get married, so we just moved in together.”

  13. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • God given circumstances will never lead you away from obedience. (Bathsheba on the roof . . . / found wallet) • God given circumstances will not always be pleasant. (Joseph) • Lorrie’s cancer • Getting fired • Sometimes it is a matter of God overruling circumstances. • Again, it is all about becoming more Christlike and serving him. • Not, “Why, Lord?” but rather “How do I serve you in this?

  14. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • God given circumstances will never lead you away from obedience. (Bathsheba on the roof . . . / found wallet) • God given circumstances will not always be pleasant. (Joseph) • God given circumstances will not involve folly. (word study “fools”) • Proverbs 10:21 ~ “Fools die for lack of judgment.” • “My credit rating is 2 and I just lost my job. I believe that God is leading me to buy this $200,000 home.” • “God is leading me to jump off of a tall building.”

  15. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Fully expect God to provide the circumstances for obedience.

  16. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Circumstances • Conviction Conviction: The clear understanding from God that God wants you to do something that is out of the ordinary. “This is what God wants me to do. It is not open for discussion” “Once done, you have no second thoughts.”

  17. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Circumstances • Conviction • Conviction: The clear understanding from God that God wants you to do something that is out of the ordinary. • “This is what God wants me to do. It is not open for discussion” • The source of conviction; • a consistent walk with God. • a good knowledge of the Word. • a fully yielded heart. • care only for what God thinks. • the Spirit of God.

  18. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Circumstances • Conviction • This passage starts with Abraham’s conviction about his son. • (Isaac obviously shared this conviction.) • The local circumstance did not provide for the conviction. • Local opinion ought not override conviction. • Acts 21:7-16 • 10After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ” • 12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

  19. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Circumstances • Conviction • This passage starts with Abraham’s conviction about his son. • (Isaac obviously shared this conviction.) • The local circumstance did not provide for the conviction. • Local opinion ought not override conviction. • You do not get to have directive conviction for me. • “God wants you to give me $1,000.” • “God wants me to go to live in Russia and you have to come!” • “God wants you to quit!” (leaving Meriden) • Acts 13:1-3 • In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

  20. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Circumstances • Conviction • This passage starts with Abraham’s conviction about his son. • (Isaac obviously shared this conviction.) • The local circumstance did not provide for the conviction. • Local opinion ought not override conviction. • You do not get to have directive conviction for me. • Exception: “Repent!” Even this is simply a call for someone else to do what God desires as clearly defined in Scripture. • This is not to exclude the giving of requested Godly counsel.

  21. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Circumstances • Conviction • This passage starts with Abraham’s conviction about his son. • (Isaac obviously shared this conviction.) • The local circumstance did not provide for the conviction. • Local opinion ought not override conviction. • You do not get to have directive conviction for me. • Beware of folly. I just know that God wants me to put $10,000 on the number 22!

  22. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • Circumstances • Conviction Commit your way fully to the Lord. (Heart, soul, mind & strength) Know/understand scripture. Obey in everything that you know to without compromise. Be open to what God provides and what he does not provide. Do not create circumstances and then credit God for them. Be triple-sure that this is what God has told you to do. Conviction will not contradict the Word and must not be folly. Ask and expect God to lead you. (But not about the menu.)

  23. Chapter 24 How does God lead us? • Obedience • This is where is starts: Leading 101 ~ Follow Jesus. • How do you find a wife? (Or anything else.) • Walk with Jesus, look and listen. • He works it out. • Circumstances • Conviction

  24. The Calvary Church www.calvarychurchmatteson.org

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