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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - When Godly People Do Ungodly Things

November 3, 2025 | 29:0

Robert Jeffress - When Godly People Do Ungodly Things
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#WordofGod #GodlyMan #Family #Testing #Baptism #Blessing #Preparation #Reward #Emotion #PromisesofGod #RobertJeffress

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - When Godly People Do Ungodly Things | November 3, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist
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  • Church of dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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  • With dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and welcome
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  • 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 mistakes.
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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're going to 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 "when godly people do ungodly things"
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  • On today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • Announcer: the bible is filled with stories about
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  • Heroes, 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
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  • Shares how to step forward in faith even
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  • 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" when you give a generous
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  • Gift to support the ministry of "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: mark twain once said, "each of us
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  • 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 is eventually
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  • Exposed, and the greatest catalyst for that exposure is
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  • 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 chapter 12 as we look
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  • At what happens when godly people do ungodly things.
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  • Last time we began 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, and abraham did that.
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  • Remember, abraham was an idol worshiper.
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  • There was nothing righteous in him.
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  • He was a worshiper of false gods, and yet god selected
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  • Abraham, and he said while he was in ur of the chaldees,
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  • "abraham, i'm going to do three things for you.
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  • I'm going to give you a land that will be yours and your
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  • Descendants forever.
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  • I'm will make you the father of a great nation, and through you
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  • I will give a blessing, a messiah who will bless the
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  • Entire world."
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  • And the bible says abraham believed god, and his faith was
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  • Counted as righteousness.
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  • And so, he picked up his family members, his extended family,
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  • His servants, his livestock, and off he went to this land without
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  • Knowing where it was or what it was.
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  • And remember, he made it as far as haran, and his father, terah,
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  • Said, "that's far enough, we've gone far enough."
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  • And so, they stayed there for 15 years, living in disobedience to
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  • God.
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  • God didn't say, "go to haran," he said, "go to the land that
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  • I'm going to show you."
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  • And finally, after 15 years god reiterated that call in genesis
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  • 12 and said, "no, you are to go to this land," and abraham again
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  • Believed god, and he picked up everything and he made that
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  • 400-mile trek across the desert 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, we find abraham kneeling
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  • 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 was right around the corner
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  • There was waiting for him a test.
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  • Look, if you will, about how this test led to abraham's,
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  • First of all, his disbelief.
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  • He had just received this tremendous promise that he was
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  • Going to be the father of a great nation.
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  • Now look at verse 10. 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 and then
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  • All of a sudden out of nowhere there comes this gigantic trial
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  • 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--a great blessing
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  • 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 gods on the top
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  • 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 who's out
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  • After his life.
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  • Or think about solomon.
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  • The high point for his life was the dedication of the temple,
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  • And yet after that dedication he fell into disobedience
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  • As he allowed foreign.
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  • That means unbelieving wives to turn his heart away from god.
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  • Or look at jesus.
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  • The high point of his ministry was his baptism when the heavens
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  • Parted and god said, "this is my beloved son in whom
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  • I'm well pleased."
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  • But that was followed in luke 4 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 by a great trial?
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  • We'll see when we get to genesis 22 that god sends tests--not
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  • Temptations but tests into our life not to destroy our faith
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  • But to strengthen our faith.
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  • James said it this way: "count it all joy,
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  • My brethren, when you encounter various trials,
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  • Knowing that the testing 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 that i just
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  • 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 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 he will give us
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  • A great blessing so that when we're in the maelstrom of
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  • Hurting and questioning we can look back on god's past blessing
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  • And say, "the same god who brought me 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 1 to 9 precede verse 10.
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  • For abraham, he had a trial 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 for being concerned
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  • About his family.
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  • That's natural.
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  • 1 timothy 5:8 says if any man does not provide for his own,
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  • Especially those of his own household,
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  • He is worse than an unbeliever 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 or somebody
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  • You care about.
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  • Do you believe the same god who's been faithful in
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  • The past to you will be faithful to you now?
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  • Is god still alive? is god still working?
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  • Can you really trust in god?
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  • Be thinking about that as we go through the story of abraham.
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  • Abraham concluded god wasn't capable and so his disbelief
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  • Turned into disobedience.
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  • Look again at verse 10.
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  • "now there was a famine in the land,
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  • So abram went down 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 to care for
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  • 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 he was able
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  • To provide grain for the entire world.
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  • Fifteen hundred years later, joseph and mary took their new
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  • Baby, baby jesus, to egypt to hide from herod and his edict
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  • To kill all the hebrew male babies.
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  • Sometimes egypt was a representation of god's
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  • Provision, but other times egypt is used as a symbol of unbelief,
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  • Of trusting in man instead of god.
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  • Throughout the old testament, god warns the israelites against
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  • Making peace treaties with egypt,
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  • Thinking that by aligning themselves with egypt instead
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  • Of with god that they can find peace and safety.
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  • That's why i had you read that verse,
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  • Isaiah 31, verse 1, this morning.
  • 00:10:52.842 --> 00:10:54.677
  • "woe to those who go down to egypt for help,
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  • And rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many
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  • And in horsemen 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."
  • 00:11:08.057 --> 00:11:10.860
  • Please note, again, abraham's motive was pure.
  • 00:11:10.860 --> 00:11:15.564
  • He was trying to provide for his family so he honestly assessed
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  • The situation.
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  • No rain means no food.
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  • No food means no animals and eventually no us.
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  • That was an accurate assessment.
  • 00:11:28.110 --> 00:11:30.179
  • He also used logic.
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  • He said, "you know, we're in this strange land surrounded by
  • 00:11:32.148 --> 00:11:35.251
  • Canaanites who don't want us here anyway.
  • 00:11:35.251 --> 00:11:37.753
  • So it's logical to conclude they're not going to
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  • Help us get food."
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  • There's nothing wrong with assessing your situation,
  • 00:11:42.725 --> 00:11:45.594
  • Whatever the challenge is.
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  • There's nothing wrong with using logic,
  • 00:11:46.929 --> 00:11:48.964
  • But here's the mistake abraham made that we all make
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  • At some point.
  • 00:11:52.001 --> 00:11:53.335
  • He calculated without god.
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  • The basis of all worry is assuming
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  • Responsibility that belongs to god.
  • 00:11:58.874 --> 00:12:01.443
  • We can't handle that.
  • 00:12:01.443 --> 00:12:03.379
  • And what happens is whenever we feel like we are responsible,
  • 00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:09.385
  • That leads us to take shortcuts, it leads us to disobedience.
  • 00:12:09.385 --> 00:12:14.290
  • 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 and disobedience
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  • 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 of meeting your need,
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  • Of taking care of you, then you feel like you're all
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  • By yourself.
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  • And if you feel like you're all by yourself in this universe,
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  • You're going to be frightened 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 or any
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  • Circumstance wants to do to you and you become fearful because
  • 00:13:03.539 --> 00:13:08.644
  • You don't want to live alone in this world.
  • 00:13:08.644 --> 00:13:12.114
  • I think of jonathan edwards' comment: "the unrighteous
  • 00:13:12.114 --> 00:13:14.950
  • Tremble at the rustling of the leaves."
  • 00:13:14.950 --> 00:13:18.988
  • People who aren't trusting in god,
  • 00:13:18.988 --> 00:13:21.090
  • Who aren't convinced of god's power will tremble at everything
  • 00:13:21.090 --> 00:13:24.526
  • That happens.
  • 00:13:24.526 --> 00:13:26.328
  • That's exactly what happened to abraham.
  • 00:13:26.328 --> 00:13:28.664
  • He decided he was responsible for his safety and survival.
  • 00:13:28.664 --> 00:13:33.269
  • And so what happens?
  • 00:13:33.269 --> 00:13:35.337
  • Verse 11, "when they came near to egypt,
  • 00:13:35.337 --> 00:13:38.407
  • Abraham said to sarai his wife, 'see now,
  • 00:13:38.407 --> 00:13:42.344
  • I know that you are a beautiful woman.'"
  • 00:13:42.344 --> 00:13:44.880
  • That's always a good way to start with your wife.
  • 00:13:44.880 --> 00:13:48.717
  • But boy, he messes up here in a moment.
  • 00:13:48.717 --> 00:13:51.654
  • And when the egyptians see you, they're going to say,
  • 00:13:51.654 --> 00:13:54.290
  • "this is his wife, and they will kill me but they
  • 00:13:54.290 --> 00:13:57.893
  • Will let you live."
  • 00:13:57.893 --> 00:14:00.462
  • So here's abraham's proposal.
  • 00:14:00.462 --> 00:14:02.364
  • "please say that you are my sister so that it may go well
  • 00:14:02.364 --> 00:14:06.302
  • With me because of you, and that i may live on account of you."
  • 00:14:06.302 --> 00:14:12.808
  • Abraham is not going to qualify as husband of the year.
  • 00:14:12.808 --> 00:14:17.579
  • He would never be interviewed on "focus on the family"
  • 00:14:17.579 --> 00:14:20.082
  • On how to build a strong marriage.
  • 00:14:20.082 --> 00:14:22.284
  • He messed up.
  • 00:14:22.284 --> 00:14:24.353
  • There were two things wrong with abraham's proposal.
  • 00:14:24.353 --> 00:14:27.222
  • First of all, he was encouraging her to tell a half-truth.
  • 00:14:27.222 --> 00:14:32.027
  • Now, the fact is sarah was his half-sister.
  • 00:14:32.027 --> 00:14:36.532
  • They had the same father, different mother;
  • 00:14:36.532 --> 00:14:39.234
  • And i know that creates a lot of questions and a lot of yuck.
  • 00:14:39.234 --> 00:14:43.706
  • That's, you know, so disgusting and so forth.
  • 00:14:43.706 --> 00:14:46.508
  • Remember, polygamy was never part of god's original plan.
  • 00:14:46.508 --> 00:14:50.579
  • God's plan was originally one man with one woman for life,
  • 00:14:50.579 --> 00:14:54.416
  • Adam and eve.
  • 00:14:54.416 --> 00:14:55.818
  • But because of the hardness of man's heart,
  • 00:14:55.818 --> 00:14:57.953
  • He fell into polygamy and god tried to regulate it,
  • 00:14:57.953 --> 00:15:01.390
  • Never approved of it.
  • 00:15:01.390 --> 00:15:03.359
  • But the fact is sarai was abram's half-sister,
  • 00:15:03.359 --> 00:15:07.429
  • Not his sister.
  • 00:15:07.429 --> 00:15:09.365
  • But the second thing was--the second problem is his proposal
  • 00:15:09.365 --> 00:15:13.869
  • Was based on selfishness.
  • 00:15:13.869 --> 00:15:15.437
  • "please do this so that it might go well with me
  • 00:15:15.437 --> 00:15:20.242
  • And that i may live."
  • 00:15:20.242 --> 00:15:24.079
  • Now, here's what's interesting when this finally happened.
  • 00:15:24.079 --> 00:15:30.085
  • Look at what happened in verses 14 and 15.
  • 00:15:30.085 --> 00:15:32.554
  • Proverbs 10:24 says what the wicked fears comes upon them.
  • 00:15:32.554 --> 00:15:38.527
  • Abraham had just imagined this scenario,
  • 00:15:38.527 --> 00:15:41.363
  • But it ended up actually happening.
  • 00:15:41.363 --> 00:15:43.699
  • Look at verse 14.
  • 00:15:43.699 --> 00:15:45.234
  • "and it came about when abram came into egypt,
  • 00:15:45.234 --> 00:15:48.637
  • The egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
  • 00:15:48.637 --> 00:15:52.241
  • Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to pharaoh;
  • 00:15:52.241 --> 00:15:56.478
  • And the woman was taken into pharaoh's house."
  • 00:15:56.478 --> 00:15:59.782
  • In other words, she was going to be a part of his harem.
  • 00:15:59.782 --> 00:16:02.885
  • Now, here's what i want you to notice about abraham.
  • 00:16:02.885 --> 00:16:06.688
  • His disobedience to god and going to egypt really
  • 00:16:06.688 --> 00:16:10.559
  • Boxed him in.
  • 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.261
  • He only had two choices, and neither of them was any good.
  • 00:16:12.261 --> 00:16:15.497
  • He could tell the truth and be killed or he could tell a lie
  • 00:16:15.497 --> 00:16:22.805
  • And live and yet still lose his wife sarah.
  • 00:16:22.805 --> 00:16:25.908
  • Neither was a good option.
  • 00:16:25.908 --> 00:16:28.977
  • But then the story takes an unexpected twist in verse 16.
  • 00:16:28.977 --> 00:16:32.581
  • "therefore he," that is pharaoh, "treated abram well for her
  • 00:16:32.581 --> 00:16:37.719
  • Sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male
  • 00:16:37.719 --> 00:16:42.224
  • And female servants and female donkeys and camels."
  • 00:16:42.224 --> 00:16:46.161
  • He treated him well.
  • 00:16:46.161 --> 00:16:47.529
  • That hebrew word, yatab, is the same word used in verse 13 when
  • 00:16:47.529 --> 00:16:51.433
  • Abraham's talking to his wife and says,
  • 00:16:51.433 --> 00:16:53.735
  • "please lie that it may go well for me."
  • 00:16:53.735 --> 00:16:57.606
  • Well, here we see it went well for abraham.
  • 00:16:57.606 --> 00:17:00.242
  • Pharaoh blessed him, gave him livestock and servants.
  • 00:17:00.242 --> 00:17:05.581
  • Who saves--says sin doesn't pay?
  • 00:17:05.581 --> 00:17:08.183
  • Abraham ended up pretty good here, right?
  • 00:17:08.183 --> 00:17:12.054
  • Only for a season.
  • 00:17:12.054 --> 00:17:14.022
  • Proverbs 10, verse 2 says, "ill-gotten gains
  • 00:17:14.022 --> 00:17:17.159
  • Do not profit."
  • 00:17:17.159 --> 00:17:19.461
  • You know, it's interesting from this point on everything--every
  • 00:17:19.461 --> 00:17:23.899
  • Possession abraham received from egypt turned out to be
  • 00:17:23.899 --> 00:17:28.303
  • A curse to him.
  • 00:17:28.303 --> 00:17:29.705
  • For example, it caused a rift with his nephew lot that we'll
  • 00:17:29.705 --> 00:17:34.843
  • Look at in a few weeks, but something i had never
  • 00:17:34.843 --> 00:17:37.913
  • Seen before.
  • 00:17:37.913 --> 00:17:39.248
  • Maybe you all have seen this before.
  • 00:17:39.248 --> 00:17:41.016
  • It says that he received female servants from pharaoh.
  • 00:17:41.016 --> 00:17:46.555
  • One of those female servants he received from pharaoh
  • 00:17:46.555 --> 00:17:50.826
  • Was a woman named hagar.
  • 00:17:50.826 --> 00:17:55.097
  • When hagar came to abram's house it was complete turmoil,
  • 00:17:55.097 --> 00:18:00.035
  • And we'll see what happened in a few weeks with that.
  • 00:18:00.035 --> 00:18:02.905
  • What i'm saying is ill-gotten gains do not add something
  • 00:18:02.905 --> 00:18:09.545
  • Positive to our life.
  • 00:18:09.545 --> 00:18:11.246
  • Eventually they turn out to be what they are.
  • 00:18:11.246 --> 00:18:13.682
  • Abram's life was a living illustration of that truth,
  • 00:18:13.682 --> 00:18:17.386
  • But you know what?
  • 00:18:17.386 --> 00:18:18.720
  • The fact is as he counted his new livestock,
  • 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:21.623
  • He counted his new servants, it was painfully obvious that
  • 00:18:21.623 --> 00:18:26.128
  • Something was missing and that someone was sarah.
  • 00:18:26.128 --> 00:18:30.132
  • What does it profit a man if he gained the whole world and
  • 00:18:30.132 --> 00:18:33.535
  • Loses life, or his wife, or his children?
  • 00:18:33.535 --> 00:18:38.840
  • And yet even though abram had abandoned sarai,
  • 00:18:38.840 --> 00:18:42.477
  • God hadn't abandoned her.
  • 00:18:42.477 --> 00:18:44.846
  • Look at verse 17.
  • 00:18:44.846 --> 00:18:46.848
  • "but the lord struck pharaoh and his house with great plagues
  • 00:18:46.848 --> 00:18:50.986
  • Because of sarai, abram's wife."
  • 00:18:50.986 --> 00:18:54.256
  • We don't know what these plagues were,
  • 00:18:54.256 --> 00:18:57.326
  • But it obviously kept pharaoh from having intercourse
  • 00:18:57.326 --> 00:19:00.929
  • With sarai.
  • 00:19:00.929 --> 00:19:03.732
  • Allen ross, the old testament commentator,
  • 00:19:03.732 --> 00:19:06.034
  • Says this is a good illustration of how seriously god takes
  • 00:19:06.034 --> 00:19:11.006
  • The marriage covenant.
  • 00:19:11.006 --> 00:19:12.608
  • He writes, "if god goes to such great lengths to preserve the
  • 00:19:12.608 --> 00:19:16.445
  • Purity of the marriage covenant, we too should make every effort
  • 00:19:16.445 --> 00:19:20.549
  • To protect the holiness of our marriage."
  • 00:19:20.549 --> 00:19:24.286
  • Isn't that a great insight?
  • 00:19:24.286 --> 00:19:26.121
  • God protected sarai for her benefit but also
  • 00:19:26.121 --> 00:19:30.626
  • For his reputation.
  • 00:19:30.626 --> 00:19:31.994
  • He had made an unconditional covenant with abraham that
  • 00:19:31.994 --> 00:19:34.896
  • He would make him the father of a great nation and that
  • 00:19:34.896 --> 00:19:38.834
  • Nation would come through sarai his wife.
  • 00:19:38.834 --> 00:19:43.905
  • God wasn't about to allow his reputation to be tarnished.
  • 00:19:43.905 --> 00:19:48.577
  • So what happened?
  • 00:19:48.577 --> 00:19:50.379
  • You have abraham's disbelief turning into disobedience,
  • 00:19:50.379 --> 00:19:53.815
  • Disobedience turn to disaster and to despair,
  • 00:19:53.815 --> 00:19:58.854
  • And finally we see abraham's disgrace.
  • 00:19:58.854 --> 00:20:02.291
  • Look at verse 18.
  • 00:20:02.291 --> 00:20:04.259
  • "then pharaoh called abram and said,
  • 00:20:04.259 --> 00:20:07.796
  • 'what is this you have done to me?'"
  • 00:20:07.796 --> 00:20:09.531
  • I think he was complaining about the plague
  • 00:20:09.531 --> 00:20:12.067
  • He had just experienced.
  • 00:20:12.067 --> 00:20:13.602
  • "'what is it you have done to me?
  • 00:20:13.602 --> 00:20:15.671
  • Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
  • 00:20:15.671 --> 00:20:18.173
  • Why did you say, 'she is my sister,' so that i took her
  • 00:20:18.173 --> 00:20:21.443
  • For my wife?
  • 00:20:21.443 --> 00:20:22.778
  • Now then, here is your wife."
  • 00:20:22.778 --> 00:20:26.348
  • "scram.
  • 00:20:26.348 --> 00:20:27.683
  • Get out of here as quickly as you can."
  • 00:20:27.683 --> 00:20:29.818
  • "and pharaoh commanded his men concerning him,
  • 00:20:29.818 --> 00:20:31.987
  • And they escorted him away with his wife and all that belonged
  • 00:20:31.987 --> 00:20:36.692
  • To him."
  • 00:20:36.692 --> 00:20:38.560
  • You know, it's one thing to be rebuked by a fellow christian
  • 00:20:38.560 --> 00:20:43.332
  • When they call us on something, but the ultimate humiliation is
  • 00:20:43.332 --> 00:20:47.069
  • To have your behavior rebuked by an unbeliever;
  • 00:20:47.069 --> 00:20:51.273
  • And yet it happens all the time, and the cause of christianity
  • 00:20:51.273 --> 00:20:55.277
  • Suffers because of it.
  • 00:20:55.277 --> 00:20:57.479
  • A non-christian teacher can't believe that a student who
  • 00:20:57.479 --> 00:21:01.450
  • Professes to be a christian is the one who cheats on the exam
  • 00:21:01.450 --> 00:21:05.721
  • Or plagiarizes a paper.
  • 00:21:05.721 --> 00:21:08.123
  • A businessman who's not a believer can't believe it's
  • 00:21:08.123 --> 00:21:12.694
  • This christian who goes to church every sunday who pads
  • 00:21:12.694 --> 00:21:17.599
  • The expense account and embezzles money
  • 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:22.037
  • From the company.
  • 00:21:22.037 --> 00:21:23.438
  • I have heard this before.
  • 00:21:23.438 --> 00:21:24.773
  • Non-christian judges who can't believe how frequently
  • 00:21:24.773 --> 00:21:27.676
  • Christians are ready to dissolve their marriages in order to find
  • 00:21:27.676 --> 00:21:32.381
  • Somebody else that will make them happy.
  • 00:21:32.381 --> 00:21:35.384
  • That kind of behavior blasphemes the name and the reputation
  • 00:21:35.384 --> 00:21:39.154
  • Of god.
  • 00:21:39.154 --> 00:21:41.857
  • The real question we all face is,
  • 00:21:41.857 --> 00:21:44.459
  • Can god be trusted to take care of us?
  • 00:21:44.459 --> 00:21:49.297
  • If we conclude no, that disbelief turns into
  • 00:21:49.297 --> 00:21:52.200
  • Disobedience; that disobedience turns into despair,
  • 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:56.004
  • Disaster, and ultimately disgrace not just for us
  • 00:21:56.004 --> 00:22:01.176
  • But for the cause of christ.
  • 00:22:01.176 --> 00:22:04.246
  • At the beginning of the message i asked you to have in your mind
  • 00:22:04.246 --> 00:22:09.017
  • Some challenge you have ahead of you with your family,
  • 00:22:09.017 --> 00:22:13.155
  • With your finances, with your health.
  • 00:22:13.155 --> 00:22:16.691
  • Are you going to trust god?
  • 00:22:16.691 --> 00:22:19.628
  • Abraham almost lost everything because he concluded
  • 00:22:19.628 --> 00:22:25.434
  • God's not capable.
  • 00:22:25.434 --> 00:22:27.569
  • Donald grey barnhouse, the great bible exposer,
  • 00:22:27.569 --> 00:22:30.872
  • Said every trial that comes into our life is like a coin.
  • 00:22:30.872 --> 00:22:35.143
  • It has both a head and a tail.
  • 00:22:35.143 --> 00:22:38.580
  • That trial can drive you toward god and closer to god,
  • 00:22:38.580 --> 00:22:43.151
  • Or it can drive you further away from god.
  • 00:22:43.151 --> 00:22:47.389
  • Which will it be for you?
  • 00:22:47.389 --> 00:22:50.926
  • Jeffress: my prayer, of course,
  • 00:22:54.663 --> 00:22:55.997
  • Is that your trial is drawing you back to the god
  • 00:22:55.997 --> 00:22:59.100
  • Who loves you.
  • 00:22:59.100 --> 00:23:00.535
  • He can be trusted.
  • 00:23:00.535 --> 00:23:02.637
  • Now, in closing today i want to share an encouraging note
  • 00:23:02.637 --> 00:23:05.340
  • I received from cindy.
  • 00:23:05.340 --> 00:23:07.008
  • She wrote, "i was saved as a young girl but strayed
  • 00:23:07.008 --> 00:23:10.245
  • For years.
  • 00:23:10.245 --> 00:23:11.580
  • I renewed my faith four years ago.
  • 00:23:11.580 --> 00:23:14.049
  • Your books and your messages have helped me so much,
  • 00:23:14.049 --> 00:23:17.419
  • And i want my friends and family to have the peace of christ
  • 00:23:17.419 --> 00:23:20.689
  • As well.
  • 00:23:20.689 --> 00:23:22.023
  • I know i can count on you and 'pathway to victory.'"
  • 00:23:22.023 --> 00:23:25.393
  • Well, thank you, cindy, and all those
  • 00:23:25.393 --> 00:23:27.863
  • Who support "pathway to victory" as well.
  • 00:23:27.863 --> 00:23:30.198
  • Together, we're leading people to jesus and shining his light
  • 00:23:30.198 --> 00:23:34.603
  • Into a dark and difficult period of time, and as a result real
  • 00:23:34.603 --> 00:23:39.007
  • Lives are being transformed through the hope that comes from
  • 00:23:39.007 --> 00:23:42.444
  • God's word.
  • 00:23:42.444 --> 00:23:43.879
  • Now, please stay right there.
  • 00:23:43.879 --> 00:23:45.680
  • I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
  • 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:50.218
  • Jeffress: the story of abraham is an invitation to come back to
  • 00:23:50.285 --> 00:23:55.223
  • The altar of god.
  • 00:23:55.223 --> 00:23:58.026
  • He fell into disobedience and ultimately disgrace.
  • 00:23:58.026 --> 00:24:04.599
  • Repentance begins with a change of mind that says, "i don't
  • 00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:07.769
  • Wanna keep going this direction," and that's what
  • 00:24:07.769 --> 00:24:10.605
  • Abraham did.
  • 00:24:10.605 --> 00:24:13.074
  • Picture right now a challenge you're facing.
  • 00:24:13.074 --> 00:24:17.045
  • It may be a challenge with a child or a grandchild.
  • 00:24:17.045 --> 00:24:20.815
  • It may be a financial need.
  • 00:24:20.815 --> 00:24:23.285
  • It might be a physical problem with you or somebody you care
  • 00:24:23.285 --> 00:24:26.421
  • About.
  • 00:24:26.421 --> 00:24:28.156
  • Do you believe the same god who's been faithful in the past
  • 00:24:28.156 --> 00:24:31.092
  • To you will be faithful to you now?
  • 00:24:31.092 --> 00:24:34.129
  • Is god still alive? is god still working?
  • 00:24:34.129 --> 00:24:37.666
  • Can you really trust in god?
  • 00:24:37.666 --> 00:24:41.636
  • The one quality god admires, god desires more than any other
  • 00:24:41.636 --> 00:24:47.075
  • Quality in our life is faith.
  • 00:24:47.075 --> 00:24:51.046
  • What is faith?
  • 00:24:51.046 --> 00:24:52.614
  • It's believing that god will do what he has promised to do and
  • 00:24:52.614 --> 00:24:56.918
  • Acting accordingly.
  • 00:24:56.918 --> 00:25:02.691
  • If the story of abraham tells us anything, it tells us this.
  • 00:25:02.691 --> 00:25:07.329
  • Doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't matter how far you've
  • 00:25:07.329 --> 00:25:09.998
  • Drifted away from god.
  • 00:25:09.998 --> 00:25:12.500
  • You can come back.
  • 00:25:12.500 --> 00:25:17.872
  • Jeffress: we're just getting started in this
  • 00:25:21.776 --> 00:25:23.144
  • Teaching series called "walking by faith."
  • 00:25:23.144 --> 00:25:26.247
  • And please join us every day because we have much more
  • 00:25:26.247 --> 00:25:29.517
  • To learn from abraham's remarkable story.
  • 00:25:29.517 --> 00:25:33.088
  • Well, our personal trials have a way of strengthening our resolve
  • 00:25:33.088 --> 00:25:37.258
  • And teaching us to rely on god, but in many cases times of peace
  • 00:25:37.258 --> 00:25:41.563
  • And prosperity can be an even greater test of our faith.
  • 00:25:41.563 --> 00:25:46.101
  • Next time we'll take a sobering look at the problem
  • 00:25:46.101 --> 00:25:48.737
  • Of prosperity.
  • 00:25:48.737 --> 00:25:50.905
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in
  • 00:25:50.905 --> 00:25:53.174
  • Our series "walking by faith."
  • 00:25:53.174 --> 00:25:56.011
  • Jeffress: there's something about prosperity that naturally
  • 00:25:57.178 --> 00:26:00.148
  • Lures people away from god.
  • 00:26:00.148 --> 00:26:03.885
  • That's the danger of wealth, and today we're going to look at the
  • 00:26:03.885 --> 00:26:09.658
  • Episode in abraham's life that best illustrates the problem
  • 00:26:09.658 --> 00:26:14.763
  • With prosperity living apart from god.
  • 00:26:14.763 --> 00:26:17.766
  • Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for the
  • 00:26:17.766 --> 00:26:20.468
  • Message "the problem with prosperity" here on "pathway
  • 00:26:20.468 --> 00:26:23.938
  • To victory."
  • 00:26:23.938 --> 00:26:26.574
  • Announcer: experience the beauty of alaska with the
  • 00:26:28.777 --> 00:26:30.945
  • Pathway to victory family june 13-20, 2026.
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  • Sail through the calm waters of the legendary inside passage
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  • With dr. robert jeffress aboard holland america's
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  • Magnificent koningsdam.
  • 00:26:41.723 --> 00:26:43.858
  • Be inspired by award-winning musician michael o'brien's
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  • Powerful worship; share laughter with dennis swanberg,
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  • America's minister of encouragement;
  • 00:26:50.265 --> 00:26:52.600
  • All while exploring frontier towns like juneau,
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  • Skagway, and ketchikan.
  • 00:26:55.470 --> 00:26:57.505
  • Jeffress: there's something powerful about connecting with
  • 00:26:57.505 --> 00:26:59.708
  • God and fellow believers in the majesty
  • 00:26:59.708 --> 00:27:02.544
  • Of his untamed wilderness.
  • 00:27:02.544 --> 00:27:04.879
  • From the majestic glaciers to soaring eagles,
  • 00:27:04.879 --> 00:27:08.049
  • These moments in god's creation will deepen your
  • 00:27:08.049 --> 00:27:10.552
  • Faith in powerful ways.
  • 00:27:10.552 --> 00:27:12.787
  • Announcer: join us for a spiritual journey through some
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  • Of creation's most spectacular displays.
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  • Don't wait, our best cabins are going fast.
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  • Secure your alaska adventure now.
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  • Call ... or visit ptv.org.
  • 00:27:22.864 --> 00:27:22.864