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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - When Godly People Do Ungodly Things | May 16, 2025
- ♪ music ♪
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- [narrator] from the pulpit of the first baptist church
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- Of dallas, texas, this is pathway to victory
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- With dr. robert jeffress.
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- Hi, i'm robert jeffress
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- And welcome again to pathway to victory.
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- The bible calls abraham a hero of the faith,
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- But that doesn't mean he never made a mistake.
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- Abraham was flawed, just like you and me.
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- And abraham made some embarrassing blunders as well.
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- Today, we will look at one of abraham's greatest mistakes.
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- It involves an unwise detour to the land of egypt.
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- My message is titled,
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- When godly people do ungodly things
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- On today's edition of pathway to victory.
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- ("behold the lamb")
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- ♪ slain from the foundation of the world ♪
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- ♪ for sinners crucified ♪
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- ♪ o holy sacrifice ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb of god ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- ♪ crown him crown him ♪
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- ♪ crown him crown him ♪
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- ♪ worthy is the lamb ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- ♪ slain from the foundation of the world ♪
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- ♪ for sinners crucified ♪
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- ♪ o holy sacrifice ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb of god ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb of god ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb of god ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- ♪ behold the lamb ♪
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- (congregation applauding)
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- [narrator] the bible is filled with stories about heroes,
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- But abraham rises above the rest
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- As a true champion of faith.
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- In walking by faith, dr. robert jeffress shares
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- How to step forward in faith
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- Even when the future appears uncertain.
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- Your faith can thrive despite the challenges you face.
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- Request your copy of "walking by faith"
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- When you give a generous gift
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- To support the ministry of pathway to victory.
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- ♪ music ♪
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- Mark twain once said, "each of us is like the moon.
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- We have a dark side we hope nobody ever sees."
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- Unfortunately, that dark side in each of us
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- Is eventually exposed and the greatest catalyst
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- For that exposure is an unexpected disaster in our life.
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- At least that's the way it was for abraham.
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- If you have your bibles turn to genesis 12.
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- As we look at what happens
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- When godly people do ungodly things.
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- Last time, we begin our study of abraham.
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- He is the example of that one quality god desires most
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- In all of us, and that is faith.
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- Remember the definition of faith.
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- Faith is believing that god will do what he's promised to do
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- And acting accordingly.
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- And abraham did that.
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- Remember abraham picked up everything
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- And he made that 400 mile trek across the desert
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- Until he arrived in canaan.
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- And he built an altar there.
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- He hadn't talked to god in 15 years,
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- But he built an altar there
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- And when we finish that story,
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- We find abraham kneeling at the altar.
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- He was finally in the land of promise, canaan,
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- What would be israel today.
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- But did what abraham didn't know
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- Was right around the corner, there was waiting for him.
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- A test.
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- Look if you will, about how this test led abraham's,
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- First of all, his disbelief.
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- He had just received this tremendous promise
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- That he was going to be the father of a great nation.
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- Now look at verse 10.
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- They've arrived in canaan.
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- Now there was a famine in the land.
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- Isn't that interesting?
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- God had blessed abraham with this great promise
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- And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere,
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- There comes this gigantic trial in his life.
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- I want you to mark this down, circle it.
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- Remember it forever.
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- Wherever there are great blessings,
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- A great blessing is usually faced by a great trial.
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- It's just that way.
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- Great blessings are followed by a great trial.
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- You see that in the life of elijah.
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- Remember, elijah had that battle with the god
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- On the tap of mount carmel, 1 kings 18,
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- God demonstrated himself powerfully.
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- It was a high point for elijah.
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- Next chapter, he has to run from jezebel
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- Who's out after his life.
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- Or think about solomon.
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- The high point for his life was the dedication
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- Of the temple, and yet after that dedication,
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- He fell into disobedience as he allowed foreign.
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- That means unbelieving wives to turn his heart
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- Away from god.
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- Or look at jesus.
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- The high point of his ministry was his baptism.
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- When the heavens parted and god said,
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- "this is my beloved son in whom i'm well pleased,"
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- But that was followed in luke four immediately by a time
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- Of testing in the wilderness by satan.
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- Why is it great blessings are followed
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- By a great trial?
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- We'll see when we get to genesis 22 that god sends tests,
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- Not temptations, but tests into our life
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- Not to destroy our faith but to strengthen our faith.
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- James said it this way, "count it all joy, my brethren,
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- When you encounter various trials knowing that the testing
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- Of your faith produces endurance."
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- God tests us to strengthen our faith.
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- That's one reason he sends tests,
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- But i want you to notice something
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- That i just noticed this week.
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- There's another reason god sends his blessings.
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- Many times, god's blessings are not a reward
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- For past obedience.
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- They are a preparation for a future test.
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- Now that's profound enough to write down.
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- I don't say many profound things,
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- But that is worth thinking about.
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- Let me say it again.
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- God's blessings are not always a reward for past behavior.
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- They are a preparation for a future test.
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- God knows what is coming in our lives.
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- And many times to prepare us for this trial,
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- He will give us a great blessing
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- So that when we're in the maelstrom of hurting
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- And questioning, we can look back on god's past blessing
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- And say the same god who brought me
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- To the promised land
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- Is going to keep me in the promised land.
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- I think that's what was going on with abraham.
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- There's a reason the blessing of verses one to nine
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- Precede verse 10.
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- For abraham, he had a trial
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- And the trial was very specific.
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- The trial was a famine that was in the land.
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- A famine meant that there'd be no water,
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- There'd be no vegetation.
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- Abraham would have no way to feed his family
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- And his livestock.
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- This was a very real need.
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- Now, we shouldn't fault abraham
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- For being concerned about his family.
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- That's natural.
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- 1 timothy 5:8 says,
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- "if any man does not provide for his own, especially those
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- Of his own household, he is worse than an unbeliever
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- And has denied the faith."
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- How did abraham respond to this famine?
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- Unfortunately, he received a giant f,
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- And that f isn't for faith.
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- He fell into disobedience, despair,
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- Disaster, and ultimately, disgrace
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- And so that we don't make the same mistake abraham made.
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- I want you as we begin this message to picture right now,
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- A challenge you're facing in your life.
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- It may be a challenge with a child or a grandchild.
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- It may be a financial need.
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- It might be a physical problem with you
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- Or somebody you care about.
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- Do you believe the same god who's been faithful in the past
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- To you will be faithful to you now?
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- Is god still alive?
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- Is god still working?
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- Can you really trust in god?
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- Be thinking about that
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- As we go through this story of abraham.
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- Abraham concluded god wasn't capable
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- And so his disbelief turned into disobedience.
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- Look again at verse 10.
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- Now, there was a famine in the land, so abraham went down
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- To egypt to sojourn there
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- For the famine was severe in the land.
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- Abraham went to egypt.
- 00:11:12.361 --> 00:11:13.763
- Now, god had commanded abraham to come to canaan.
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- There's no record that god said to abraham,
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- Go down to egypt.
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- That was his idea.
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- That's interesting.
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- In the bible, egypt of course is a real country,
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- But it's used as two symbols of two very different things.
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- Sometimes, egypt was god's provision
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- To care for his people.
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- For example, abraham's great grandson named joseph
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- Would end up in egypt and through egypt,
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- He was able to provide grain for the entire world.
- 00:11:45.728 --> 00:11:49.532
- 1,500 years later, joseph and mary took their new baby,
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- Baby jesus to egypt to hide from herod
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- And his edict to kill all the hebrew male babies.
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- Sometimes, egypt was a representation of god's provision,
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- But other times, egypt is used as a symbol
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- Of unbelief, of trusting in man instead of god.
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- Throughout the old testament,
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- God warns the israelites against making peace treaties
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- With egypt, thinking that by aligning themselves
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- With egypt instead of with god,
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- That they can find peace and safety.
- 00:12:28.504 --> 00:12:30.706
- And that's why i had you read that verse,
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- Isaiah 31:1 this morning, "woe to those who go down
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- To egypt for help and rely on horses and trust in chariots
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- Because they are many and in horsemen
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- Because they are very strong,
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- But they do not look to the holy one of israel,
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- Nor do they seek the lord."
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- Please note, again, abraham's motive was pure.
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- He was trying to provide for his family,
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- So he honestly assessed the situation.
- 00:12:58.300 --> 00:13:01.837
- No rain means no food, no food means no animals
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- And eventually, no us.
- 00:13:06.575 --> 00:13:08.444
- That was an accurate assessment.
- 00:13:08.444 --> 00:13:10.246
- He also used logic.
- 00:13:10.246 --> 00:13:12.314
- He said, "you know, we're in this strange land surrounded
- 00:13:12.314 --> 00:13:15.818
- By canaanites who don't want us here anyway, so it's logical
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- To conclude they're not going to help us get food."
- 00:13:19.855 --> 00:13:23.525
- There's nothing wrong with assessing your situation,
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- Whatever the challenge is.
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- There's nothing wrong with using logic,
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- But here's the mistake abraham made that we all make
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- At some point.
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- He calculated without god.
- 00:13:34.003 --> 00:13:36.805
- Anytime we assume responsibility that belongs to god,
- 00:13:36.805 --> 00:13:40.776
- We're going to be led to do ungodly things.
- 00:13:40.776 --> 00:13:44.580
- And that led, that disobedience led to abraham's despair,
- 00:13:44.580 --> 00:13:50.219
- Disbelief turns into disobedience
- 00:13:50.219 --> 00:13:52.755
- And disobedience leads to despair or fear.
- 00:13:52.755 --> 00:13:57.192
- Now listen to me.
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- When you conclude that god's not capable
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- Of meeting your need, of taking care of you,
- 00:14:03.332 --> 00:14:06.568
- Then you feel like you're all by yourself.
- 00:14:06.568 --> 00:14:10.239
- And if you feel like you're all by yourself
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- In this universe, you're going to be frightened
- 00:14:12.942 --> 00:14:15.210
- By any and everything that happens
- 00:14:15.210 --> 00:14:18.080
- Because you realize we live in a random universe
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- Or you think we do.
- 00:14:20.449 --> 00:14:21.984
- You realize you're just subject to whatever anybody
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- Or any circumstance wants to do to you
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- And you become fearful
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- Because you don't want to live alone in this world.
- 00:14:30.626 --> 00:14:34.029
- I think of jonathan edward's comment,
- 00:14:34.029 --> 00:14:36.265
- "the unrighteous tremble at the rustling of the leaves."
- 00:14:36.265 --> 00:14:40.769
- People who aren't trusting in god, who aren't convinced
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- Of god's power will tremble at everything that happens.
- 00:14:44.106 --> 00:14:48.043
- That's exactly what happened to abraham.
- 00:14:48.043 --> 00:14:50.512
- He decided he was responsible for his safety and survival
- 00:14:50.512 --> 00:14:55.150
- And so what happens?
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- Verse 11, "when they came near to egypt, abraham said
- 00:14:57.086 --> 00:15:01.223
- To sarai, his wife, 'see now, i know
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- That you are a beautiful woman.'"
- 00:15:04.860 --> 00:15:06.628
- That's always a good way to start with your wife.
- 00:15:06.628 --> 00:15:09.698
- (congregation laughing)
- 00:15:09.698 --> 00:15:11.100
- But boy, he messes up here in a moment
- 00:15:11.100 --> 00:15:13.635
- "and when the egyptians see you, they're going to say,
- 00:15:13.635 --> 00:15:16.238
- 'this is his wife,' and they will kill me,
- 00:15:16.238 --> 00:15:19.742
- But they will let you live."
- 00:15:19.742 --> 00:15:22.244
- So here's abraham's proposal.
- 00:15:22.244 --> 00:15:23.912
- "please say that you are my sister so that it may go well
- 00:15:23.912 --> 00:15:28.450
- With me because of you
- 00:15:28.450 --> 00:15:30.185
- And that i may live on account of you."
- 00:15:30.185 --> 00:15:34.523
- Abraham is not going to qualify as husband of the year.
- 00:15:35.591 --> 00:15:39.028
- (congregation laughing)
- 00:15:39.028 --> 00:15:40.562
- Remember, polygamy was never part of god's original plan.
- 00:15:40.562 --> 00:15:44.033
- God's plan was originally one man with one woman for life,
- 00:15:44.033 --> 00:15:48.070
- Adam and eve, but because of the hardness of man's heart,
- 00:15:48.070 --> 00:15:51.373
- He fell into polygamy
- 00:15:51.373 --> 00:15:53.175
- And god tried to regulate it, never approved of it.
- 00:15:53.175 --> 00:15:56.779
- But the fact is, sarai was abraham's half sister,
- 00:15:56.779 --> 00:16:01.050
- Not his sister, but the second thing was,
- 00:16:01.050 --> 00:16:04.353
- The second problem is his proposal was based on selfishness.
- 00:16:04.353 --> 00:16:09.224
- "please do this so that it might go well with me
- 00:16:09.224 --> 00:16:14.129
- And that i may live."
- 00:16:14.129 --> 00:16:17.533
- Now here's what's interesting.
- 00:16:17.533 --> 00:16:20.102
- When this finally happened,
- 00:16:20.102 --> 00:16:22.771
- Look at what happened in verses 14 and 15.
- 00:16:23.672 --> 00:16:26.942
- Proverbs 10:24 says, "what the wicked fears
- 00:16:26.942 --> 00:16:30.079
- Comes upon them."
- 00:16:30.079 --> 00:16:31.880
- Abraham had just imagined this scenario,
- 00:16:31.880 --> 00:16:34.750
- But it ended up actually happening.
- 00:16:34.750 --> 00:16:36.952
- Look at verse 14,
- 00:16:36.952 --> 00:16:38.454
- "and it came about when abraham came into egypt,
- 00:16:38.454 --> 00:16:41.957
- The egyptian saw that the woman was very beautiful.
- 00:16:41.957 --> 00:16:45.994
- Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to pharaoh
- 00:16:45.994 --> 00:16:50.032
- And the woman was taken into pharaoh's house."
- 00:16:50.032 --> 00:16:53.001
- In other words, she was going to be a part of his harem.
- 00:16:53.001 --> 00:16:56.805
- Now, here's what i want you to notice about abraham.
- 00:16:56.805 --> 00:16:59.808
- His disobedience to god
- 00:16:59.808 --> 00:17:02.044
- And going to egypt really boxed him in.
- 00:17:02.044 --> 00:17:05.414
- He only had two choices and neither of them was any good.
- 00:17:05.414 --> 00:17:09.451
- He could tell the truth and be killed
- 00:17:09.451 --> 00:17:14.690
- Or he could tell a lie and live
- 00:17:15.324 --> 00:17:16.658
- And yet still lose his wife, sarai.
- 00:17:16.658 --> 00:17:19.094
- Neither was a good option,
- 00:17:19.094 --> 00:17:21.997
- But then the story takes an unexpected twist in verse 16.
- 00:17:21.997 --> 00:17:25.901
- "therefore, he," that is pharaoh," treated abraham well
- 00:17:25.901 --> 00:17:30.639
- For her sake and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys
- 00:17:30.639 --> 00:17:34.943
- And male and female servants and female donkeys and camels."
- 00:17:34.943 --> 00:17:39.882
- He treated him well.
- 00:17:39.882 --> 00:17:41.250
- That hebrew word (speaking in foreign language)
- 00:17:41.250 --> 00:17:43.018
- Is the same word used in verse 13
- 00:17:43.018 --> 00:17:45.053
- When abraham's talking to his wife
- 00:17:45.053 --> 00:17:46.522
- And says, "please lie that it may go well for me."
- 00:17:46.522 --> 00:17:50.959
- Well, here we see, it went well for abraham.
- 00:17:50.959 --> 00:17:54.096
- Pharaoh blessed him, gave him livestock and servants.
- 00:17:54.096 --> 00:17:59.368
- Who says sin doesn't pay?
- 00:17:59.935 --> 00:18:01.803
- Abraham ended up pretty good here, right?
- 00:18:01.803 --> 00:18:05.841
- Only for a season.
- 00:18:05.841 --> 00:18:07.476
- Proverbs 10:2 says, "ill-gotten gains do not profit."
- 00:18:07.476 --> 00:18:12.881
- You know it's interesting from this point on,
- 00:18:13.849 --> 00:18:16.885
- Everything, every possession abraham received from egypt
- 00:18:16.885 --> 00:18:21.190
- Turned out to be a curse to him.
- 00:18:21.190 --> 00:18:23.725
- For example, it caused a rift with his nephew, lot,
- 00:18:23.725 --> 00:18:27.563
- That we'll look at in a few weeks,
- 00:18:27.563 --> 00:18:30.232
- But something i had never seen
- 00:18:30.232 --> 00:18:31.767
- Before, maybe you all have seen this before.
- 00:18:31.767 --> 00:18:34.803
- It says that he received female servants from pharaoh.
- 00:18:34.803 --> 00:18:40.108
- One of those female servants he received from pharaoh
- 00:18:41.143 --> 00:18:43.912
- Was a woman named hagar.
- 00:18:43.912 --> 00:18:47.349
- When hagar came to abraham's house, it was complete turmoil
- 00:18:48.517 --> 00:18:53.322
- And we'll see what happened in a few weeks with that.
- 00:18:53.322 --> 00:18:56.825
- What i'm saying is ill-gotten gains
- 00:18:56.825 --> 00:18:59.628
- Do not add something positive to her life.
- 00:18:59.628 --> 00:19:04.299
- Eventually, they turn out to be what they are.
- 00:19:04.299 --> 00:19:07.769
- Abraham's life was a living illustration of that truth.
- 00:19:07.769 --> 00:19:11.073
- But you know what the fact is?
- 00:19:11.073 --> 00:19:13.108
- As he counted his new livestock,
- 00:19:13.108 --> 00:19:15.177
- He counted his new servants.
- 00:19:15.177 --> 00:19:17.312
- It was painfully obvious that something was missing
- 00:19:17.312 --> 00:19:21.283
- And that someone was sarah.
- 00:19:21.283 --> 00:19:24.052
- What does it profit a man if he gained the whole world
- 00:19:24.052 --> 00:19:26.655
- And loses life or his wife or his children?
- 00:19:26.655 --> 00:19:31.994
- And yet, even though abraham had abandoned sarai,
- 00:19:32.995 --> 00:19:36.365
- God hadn't abandoned her.
- 00:19:36.365 --> 00:19:38.333
- Look at verse 17, "but the lord struck pharaoh
- 00:19:38.333 --> 00:19:42.337
- And his house with great plagues
- 00:19:42.337 --> 00:19:44.506
- Because of sarai, abraham's wife."
- 00:19:44.506 --> 00:19:48.210
- We don't know what these plagues were,
- 00:19:48.210 --> 00:19:50.612
- But it obviously kept pharaoh
- 00:19:50.612 --> 00:19:53.148
- From having intercourse with sarai.
- 00:19:53.148 --> 00:19:56.285
- Alan ross, the old testament commentator,
- 00:19:57.152 --> 00:20:00.055
- Says this is a good illustration
- 00:20:00.055 --> 00:20:02.157
- Of how seriously god takes the marriage covenant.
- 00:20:02.157 --> 00:20:05.727
- He writes, "if god goes to such great links
- 00:20:05.727 --> 00:20:09.097
- To preserve the purity of the marriage covenant,
- 00:20:09.097 --> 00:20:11.833
- We too should make every effort
- 00:20:11.833 --> 00:20:14.403
- To protect the holiness of our marriage."
- 00:20:14.403 --> 00:20:17.239
- Isn't that a great insight?
- 00:20:17.239 --> 00:20:18.907
- God protected sarai for her benefit,
- 00:20:19.708 --> 00:20:23.478
- But also for his reputation.
- 00:20:23.478 --> 00:20:25.380
- He had made an unconditional covenant with abraham
- 00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:28.750
- That he would make him the father of a great nation
- 00:20:28.750 --> 00:20:31.920
- And that nation would come through sarai, his wife.
- 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:37.359
- God wasn't about to allow his reputation to be tarnished.
- 00:20:38.527 --> 00:20:42.431
- So what happened?
- 00:20:42.431 --> 00:20:43.965
- You have abraham's disbelief turning into disobedience.
- 00:20:43.965 --> 00:20:47.536
- Disobedience turned to disaster and to despair,
- 00:20:47.536 --> 00:20:52.407
- And finally, we see abraham's disgrace.
- 00:20:52.407 --> 00:20:55.944
- Look at verse 18, "then pharaoh called abraham
- 00:20:55.944 --> 00:20:59.781
- And said, 'what is this you have done to me?"
- 00:20:59.781 --> 00:21:03.151
- Think he was complaining about the plague
- 00:21:03.151 --> 00:21:05.253
- He had just experienced.
- 00:21:05.253 --> 00:21:06.655
- "what is it you have done to me?
- 00:21:06.655 --> 00:21:08.890
- Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
- 00:21:08.890 --> 00:21:11.960
- Why did you say, 'she is my sister'
- 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:14.329
- That i took her from my wife?
- 00:21:14.329 --> 00:21:16.498
- Now then, here's your wife, scram.
- 00:21:16.498 --> 00:21:20.469
- Get out of here as quickly as you can."
- 00:21:20.469 --> 00:21:23.171
- And pharaoh commanded his men concerning him
- 00:21:23.171 --> 00:21:25.674
- And they escorted him away with his wife
- 00:21:25.674 --> 00:21:28.777
- And all that belonged to him.
- 00:21:28.777 --> 00:21:32.247
- You know, it's one thing to be rebuked
- 00:21:32.247 --> 00:21:35.217
- By a fellow christian when they call us on something,
- 00:21:35.217 --> 00:21:38.420
- But the ultimate humiliation
- 00:21:38.420 --> 00:21:40.489
- Is to have your behavior rebuked by an unbeliever.
- 00:21:40.489 --> 00:21:45.026
- And yet it happens all the time
- 00:21:45.660 --> 00:21:47.262
- And the cause of christianity suffers because of it.
- 00:21:47.262 --> 00:21:50.899
- A non-christian teacher can't believe that a student
- 00:21:50.899 --> 00:21:55.337
- Who professes to be a christian is the one
- 00:21:55.337 --> 00:21:57.339
- Who cheats on the exam or plagiarizes a paper.
- 00:21:57.339 --> 00:22:01.843
- A businessman who's not a believer
- 00:22:01.843 --> 00:22:04.980
- Can't believe it's this christian
- 00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:07.449
- Who goes to church every sunday
- 00:22:07.449 --> 00:22:10.018
- Who pads the expense account
- 00:22:10.018 --> 00:22:12.954
- And embezzles money from the company.
- 00:22:12.954 --> 00:22:16.558
- I've heard this before, non-christian judges
- 00:22:16.558 --> 00:22:19.394
- Who can't believe how frequently christians are ready
- 00:22:19.394 --> 00:22:22.731
- To dissolve their marriages in order to find somebody else
- 00:22:22.731 --> 00:22:27.002
- That will make them happy.
- 00:22:27.002 --> 00:22:28.904
- That kind of behavior, blasphemes the name
- 00:22:28.904 --> 00:22:32.007
- And the reputation of god.
- 00:22:32.007 --> 00:22:34.776
- The real question we all face is, can god be trusted
- 00:22:35.844 --> 00:22:40.215
- To take care of us?
- 00:22:40.682 --> 00:22:42.584
- If we conclude no, that disbelief turns into disobedience,
- 00:22:42.584 --> 00:22:46.955
- That disobedience turns into despair, disaster,
- 00:22:46.955 --> 00:22:50.892
- And ultimately, disgrace not just for us,
- 00:22:50.892 --> 00:22:55.397
- But for the cause of christ.
- 00:22:55.397 --> 00:22:58.633
- At the beginning of the message, i ask you
- 00:22:58.633 --> 00:23:00.535
- To have in your mind some challenge you have ahead of you
- 00:23:00.535 --> 00:23:05.240
- With your family, with your finances, with your health.
- 00:23:06.374 --> 00:23:09.945
- Are you going to trust god?
- 00:23:10.545 --> 00:23:12.581
- Abraham almost lost everything
- 00:23:13.215 --> 00:23:16.852
- Because he concluded god's not capable.
- 00:23:16.852 --> 00:23:20.388
- Donald grey barnhouse, the great bible expository said,
- 00:23:21.490 --> 00:23:24.893
- "every trial that comes into our life is like a coin.
- 00:23:24.893 --> 00:23:29.197
- It has both a head and a tail.
- 00:23:29.197 --> 00:23:32.167
- That trial can drive you toward god and closer to god,
- 00:23:33.268 --> 00:23:36.738
- Or it can drive you further away from god."
- 00:23:36.738 --> 00:23:40.475
- Which will it be for you?
- 00:23:41.042 --> 00:23:44.045
- ♪ music ♪
- 00:23:44.045 --> 00:23:49.417
- My prayer, of course, is that your trial is drawing you back
- 00:23:49.417 --> 00:23:53.221
- To the god who loves you.
- 00:23:53.221 --> 00:23:55.257
- He can be trusted.
- 00:23:55.257 --> 00:23:57.626
- Now, in closing today, i want to share an encouraging note
- 00:23:57.626 --> 00:24:00.128
- I received from cindy.
- 00:24:00.128 --> 00:24:01.796
- She wrote,
- 00:24:01.796 --> 00:24:20.315
- Well, thank you, cindy.
- 00:24:20.815 --> 00:24:22.250
- And thank you to all of those of you
- 00:24:22.250 --> 00:24:24.052
- Who support pathway to victory.
- 00:24:24.052 --> 00:24:26.521
- Together we are leading people to jesus
- 00:24:26.521 --> 00:24:29.257
- And shining his light in a dark and difficult season,
- 00:24:29.257 --> 00:24:33.595
- And as a result, real lives are being transformed
- 00:24:33.595 --> 00:24:37.065
- Through the hope that comes from god's word.
- 00:24:37.065 --> 00:24:40.001
- Now, stay right there.
- 00:24:40.001 --> 00:24:41.570
- I'll be back with more pathway to victory in just a moment.
- 00:24:41.570 --> 00:24:45.373
- [narrator] in the midst of our chaotic world
- 00:24:46.274 --> 00:24:48.443
- And the personal problems that we face, is it possible
- 00:24:48.443 --> 00:24:51.646
- To find peace and contentment?
- 00:24:51.646 --> 00:24:53.748
- Abraham did, and so can you.
- 00:24:53.748 --> 00:24:56.151
- In "walking by faith," dr. robert shows you
- 00:24:56.151 --> 00:24:59.387
- How to make courageous decisions,
- 00:24:59.387 --> 00:25:01.222
- Ones that are far outside your comfort zone.
- 00:25:01.222 --> 00:25:04.292
- In doing so, god will prove faithful.
- 00:25:04.292 --> 00:25:07.228
- Abraham was far from perfect.
- 00:25:07.228 --> 00:25:09.164
- He made mistakes, including some really big ones,
- 00:25:09.164 --> 00:25:12.367
- But through it all, he walked with god in faith
- 00:25:12.367 --> 00:25:15.737
- And you can too.
- 00:25:15.737 --> 00:25:17.105
- [narrator] in this dynamic book, dr. jeffress
- 00:25:17.105 --> 00:25:19.541
- Explains how to walk by faith in a faithless world,
- 00:25:19.541 --> 00:25:23.144
- Squarely founded on the wisdom
- 00:25:23.144 --> 00:25:24.980
- Gained from the story of abraham.
- 00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:27.449
- Request your copy of "walking by faith"
- 00:25:27.449 --> 00:25:30.085
- When you give a generous gift to pathway to victory,
- 00:25:30.085 --> 00:25:33.154
- And when you give $75 or more,
- 00:25:33.154 --> 00:25:35.957
- We'll also send you all 11 messages
- 00:25:35.957 --> 00:25:38.460
- For the "walking by faith" series on dvd video
- 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:41.763
- And mp3 format audio disc along with the personal
- 00:25:41.763 --> 00:25:45.667
- And group study guidebook.
- 00:25:45.667 --> 00:25:47.435
- If the story of abraham tells us anything,
- 00:25:47.435 --> 00:25:49.704
- It tells us this.
- 00:25:49.704 --> 00:25:51.172
- It doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't matter
- 00:25:51.172 --> 00:25:53.108
- How far you've drifted away from god, you can come back.
- 00:25:53.108 --> 00:25:56.911
- [narrator] your gift today is important
- 00:25:56.911 --> 00:25:58.680
- And appreciate as we impact your home and reach a nation
- 00:25:58.680 --> 00:26:02.384
- And world in spiritual need.
- 00:26:02.384 --> 00:26:04.586
- God is clearly using pathway to victory
- 00:26:04.586 --> 00:26:07.422
- To fulfill his mandate, to pierce the darkness
- 00:26:07.422 --> 00:26:10.291
- With the light of his word.
- 00:26:10.291 --> 00:26:12.093
- Thank you for investing in this important gospel work.
- 00:26:12.093 --> 00:26:17.799
- We're just getting started
- 00:26:18.366 --> 00:26:19.868
- In this brand new teaching series called walking by faith.
- 00:26:19.868 --> 00:26:23.838
- And please join us every day because we have much more
- 00:26:23.838 --> 00:26:27.108
- To learn about abraham's remarkable story.
- 00:26:27.108 --> 00:26:30.645
- Well, our personal trials have a way
- 00:26:30.645 --> 00:26:32.547
- Of strengthening our resolve and teaching us to rely on god,
- 00:26:32.547 --> 00:26:36.885
- But in many cases, times of peace
- 00:26:36.885 --> 00:26:39.020
- And prosperity can be an even greater test of our faith.
- 00:26:39.020 --> 00:26:43.324
- Next time, we'll take a sobering look
- 00:26:43.324 --> 00:26:45.427
- At the problem with prosperity.
- 00:26:45.427 --> 00:26:48.363
- Stay tuned for a preview
- 00:26:48.363 --> 00:26:49.931
- Of what's coming up next in our series, walking by faith.
- 00:26:49.931 --> 00:26:54.369
- There's something about prosperity
- 00:26:55.136 --> 00:26:57.338
- That naturally lures people away from god.
- 00:26:57.338 --> 00:27:01.876
- That's the danger of wealth.
- 00:27:01.876 --> 00:27:04.813
- And today, we're going to look at the episode
- 00:27:05.747 --> 00:27:08.216
- In abraham's life that best illustrates
- 00:27:08.216 --> 00:27:12.020
- The problem with prosperity, living apart from god.
- 00:27:12.020 --> 00:27:15.457
- [narrator] set your dvr
- 00:27:15.457 --> 00:27:16.624
- And join us next time for the message,
- 00:27:16.624 --> 00:27:18.593
- The problem with prosperity here on pathway to victory.
- 00:27:18.593 --> 00:27:22.530
- ♪ music ♪
- 00:27:22.530 --> 00:27:22.530