Robert Jeffress - When Godly People Do Ungodly Things

May 16, 2025 | S25:E234

Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.

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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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • No rain means no food, no food means no animals
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  • And eventually, no us.
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  • That was an accurate assessment.
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  • He also used logic.
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  • He said, "you know, we're in this strange land surrounded
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  • 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."
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  • 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.
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  • Anytime we assume responsibility that belongs to god,
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  • We're going to be led to do ungodly things.
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  • And that led, that disobedience led to abraham's despair,
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  • Disbelief turns into disobedience
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  • And disobedience leads to despair or fear.
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  • 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,
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  • Then you feel like you're all by yourself.
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  • And if you feel like you're all by yourself
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  • In this universe, you're going to be frightened
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  • By any and everything that happens
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  • Because you realize we live in a random universe
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  • Or you think we do.
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  • 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
  • 00:14:40.769 --> 00:14:44.106
  • 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?
  • 00:14:55.150 --> 00:14:57.086
  • 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
  • 00:15:01.223 --> 00:15:04.860
  • 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