Amen. Genesis chapter 17. So we're just about a third of the way now through the book of Genesis,
which, I don't know, it's gone quite quickly for me, I don't know about for you guys,
but we're in Genesis 17 already and we were in Genesis 16 last week,
which we saw, you know, just to give you a quick recap, we saw Sarah AI try to take matters into our own hands
and give her handmaid Hagar to Abram to marry, which was a bit of a bizarre thing to do,
what was even more bizarre, and you could kind of forgive Sarah AI for kind of maybe not thinking
too straight, it had been a long time, obviously she'd been wanting children, things hadn't worked out,
but Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarah AI, I mean that was a big mistake wasn't it, it was a pretty
crazy plan they came up with, and what a surprise, not long after Hagar's hating on Sarah AI,
in fact as soon as she had conceived or seen that she had conceived, she was hating Sarah AI and
obviously things were going downhill, it was a bad decision, Abraham's loyalty or Abram at the time
it was, was to Sarah AI, who was still her boss, and she then treats her harshly, she then
legs it, it's all just, I mean, a bit of a mess right, I mean you could imagine probably this sort
of thing in some dodgy soap operas and movies and stuff, and in fact you know this is real life,
this is, this is what really happened, the angel of the Lord, this bit you wouldn't find in the soap
operas, found her by a fountain of water, and we looked at how angels are messengers of God,
here it's the Lord Jesus Christ for me, there is a picture of salvation, and God then commanding
her to return along with the prophecy about her son Ishmael, and we're going to look just at the
last at the end of that chapter from verse 13, which reads, and she called the name of the Lord
that spake unto her, thou God seest me, for she said have I also here looked after him that seeth
me, wherefore the well was called Beelahai, behold it is between Kadesh and Bered, and Hagar bare
Abram a son, and Abram called his son's name which Hagar bare Ishmael, and Abram was four
score and six years old when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram, and Genesis 17 and verse 1 starts with,
and when Abram was 90 years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him,
I am the almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect. I'd like to pray before we get the
get the chapter started properly, Father thank you for your word, thank you for this chapter in the
Bible, a chapter which has a lot of interesting stuff in there Lord, a lot to learn, there's a
doctrine there too, please help me to just preach it, just in an accurate way now Lord,
a way that's just as you'd want it preached, full of your spirit please, full of boldness
Lord, and just help everyone here to just really pay attention to what your word's saying,
to really just you know have things that maybe they could take away too from this,
but obviously to just learn or at least to reinforce some key doctrines as well,
Jesus' name, pray all this, amen. So is the Lord telling Abram here that it's time for
sinless perfection, he said, I am the almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect. Well
although that would be great, firstly that would be impossible wouldn't it, it would be impossible
for Abram to be perfect as we would use the word, Ecclesiastes 7 20 says, for there is not a just
man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. So the word perfect as opposed to how we use it
nowadays actually means to be complete, it means to be the finished article, okay, so that's what
he's saying to Abram here, he's telling him to walk before him or in front of him, to be close
to God I think he's saying there, and to be the full package, he's saying I am the almighty God,
therefore you'd better start behaving properly, he said I am the almighty God, walk before me and be
that perfect, and I believe look you know you could say this is on the back of some really crazy
stuff that we just talked about from the last chapter, he's saying look Abram you need to start
acting right okay, you need to start behaving right, but it's also a good reminder for us that
look because some look maybe I don't know maybe I'm wrong but maybe some of you here still picture
Jesus with long hair and a dress, a lot of people do, you know a lot of people even though they've
heard the preaching they know it's not in the bible that stuff they'll still when they picture
Jesus would just picture this sort of long-haired hippie in a dress maybe walking around saying
peace man and everything else or maybe you still picture the father as some sort of spoiling
cuddling granddad you know or sort of you know maybe maybe the kind of Morgan Freeman-y type one
because that he was I think he's possibly must have played God more than anyone else in in movie
history maybe I'm wrong I don't know or maybe you still treat God as a genie in a lamp type God
when you rebuke him where he doesn't grant you your wishes you say I can't believe he didn't
give me this or this didn't happen can people still do Christians still do that stuff the
reality though is that he's the almighty God yeah he is the almighty God he said I am the almighty
God he's a loving God yeah but he's also almighty God isn't he he's almighty which is reason enough
to live right isn't it to be the complete Christian and look just the fact just the fact
alone that we serve an almighty God that there is one God he's a God of the universe he is God
he's the almighty God that should be reason for us to live right shouldn't it it should be reason
for us to go look I want to start doing what you say God yeah I want to start behaving right I
want to I want to walk before you and be perfect because you're the almighty God because that's
basically what he's saying isn't it so I am the almighty God walk before me and be that perfect
yeah how many people how many people have this image of God it's just this joke this clown this
sort of you know just so cuddly sort of whatever that the world's trying to picture him as in their
various movies and cartoons and everything else kids books and everything else to the point where
they're they've just got this completely skewed image of God and when it says to be to live right
when he said here to walk before me and be that perfect I said that for me nowadays you'd I would
say that's just to be the complete Christian now don't get me wrong he wanted Abraham at this point
to be the complete Christian but he wants you to be the complete Christian and in the new testament
as a Christian with the full word of God and it's explained to us exactly what he does it
doesn't want from us you could even argue maybe it should be a bit easier for us at least we know
what's expected we know what he wants how does that look he's your mighty God which you could
say is reason enough to turn up a church isn't it like take out all the other stuff take out the
you know blessings take out the you know wanting to kind of maybe appear good to your fellow man
take away that well I just you know things are going badly I better be in church take away all
of that the fact that he's the almighty God should be enough reason because I think this is what he's
saying to Abraham here I am the almighty God walk before me be that perfect should be enough reason
for us to get up and find a way to get to church shouldn't it and not just on a Sunday morning not
just on a Sunday evening but also on a midweek service he is the almighty God it should be enough
reason shouldn't it to to get to church it should be enough reason for for those out there that we
get saving everything else to get baptized he is the almighty God and he commands it it's the
command of God to get baptized it should be enough reason to read the Bible I am the almighty God
walk before me that's close to him that's near him that's in his sight you're not going to be
doing that if you're not going to be listening to him right and be thou perfect complete it
should be enough reason to read the Bible yet again how many of us how many people have times
have days have mornings evenings whatever else when you just put it to one side no I've got
something more important to do should be enough reason shouldn't it it should be enough reason
to go soul winning shouldn't it I am the almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect
that should be enough reason forget the rewards in heaven forget the you know the the fact that
well people are going to hell like they're all good reasons don't get me wrong they're extra
incentives but the fact that he's almighty God and he commands you to go soul when it should be
enough shouldn't it it should be enough reason to get sin out of our lives as well shouldn't it
he said walk before me and be thou perfect because he's the almighty God he's a scary he's he's he's
he's a terrible God and I don't mean that in the way that we use the word right I mean he's he's
the almighty God yeah he's a terrifying God but he's also a loving God he's a loving God that
sent his son to sign a cross for you as well and you can also say that's enough reason as well
shouldn't it yeah it seems for so many it's not the case is it and it's frustrating isn't it it's
frustrating he said in verse two and I will make my covenant between me and me and will multiply
the exceedingly and Abraham fell on his face and God talked with him saying that just pause for a
second there that's a pretty common response to God in the bible isn't it falling on your face
and again how many times that I'm sure there are many people here that probably don't really get
on their face too often when it's in front of God get on your knees on your face and and I've
preached about this before and I've felt this myself sometimes you know especially when I'm
busy and stuff like that it's just taking that time to get on your knees bow your face to the
ground and you know what it helps you put God in that right position I think it helps you put him
where he should be which is up here while you're down here and when you're bowing your face to the
ground when you're praying to him it helps you I think to put him in the right position in your
life where he should be and here Abram fell on his face he fell on his face and I think we're
going to see in a bit that he's in front of the Lord Jesus Christ here so he didn't go oh at least
it's Jesus not the scary one up the top you know no because it's one God yeah and he doesn't change
and Jesus Christ Jesus Christ I believe here is in front of him and he's falling on his face to
the ground and you know what that's something we should all do regularly and then God talked with
him okay saying so we're going to see the covenant now he said as for me behold my
covenant is with thee and thou shalt be a father of many nations neither shall thy name any more
be called Abram but thy name shall be Abraham for a father of many nations have I made thee and
Abraham meaning father of a multitude and I will make the exceeding fruitful and I will make nations
of thee and king shall come out of thee and I will establish my covenant between me and thee
and thy seed after thee and their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto
thee and to thy seed after thee and I will give unto thee into thy seed after thee the land wherein
thou art a stranger all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God
okay so this is God's side of the covenant here his side is to make him fruitful for
kings to come from him to be a God to them to give the land of Canaan okay and we've we've had
a look at that before and how Abram kind of found this odd to kind of and now what now I can finally
just call him Abraham and not keep trying to remember to call him Abram okay and Abraham
okay right okay and this you know remember before when he was Abraham was saying look how's this
even going to work am I going to suddenly have all this land with all these tribes all these kind of
you know what seems to be already guys are going around killing each other and everything else and
he's thinking how am I going to get this well this is part of the covenant he's going to give
him this land of Canaan and and he even said for an everlasting possession and I will be their God
now let's see the other side verse 9 says and God said unto Abraham thou shalt keep my covenant
therefore thou and I see it after thee and their generations this is my covenant which
ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man child among you shall be
circumcised and you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the
covenant betwixt me and you and he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every man
child in your generation see that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which
is not of thy seed he that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money must needs
be circumcised my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant and the
uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be
cut off from his people he has broken my covenant so Abraham and his seeds including any servant
side of the covenant is circumcision why why is that well turn to Romans chapter 4
which explains a bit more about what the point of the circumcision was
now firstly it had nothing to do with salvation okay salvation has always been and will always be
by faith alone in Christ alone that's the only possible way anyone could get saved
okay the only way you're going to end up your sinful flesh or at least you the fact that you
are a sinner the only way you're ever going to end up in heaven in the presence of God is by
the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ it's ridiculous to think there could be any other way
there is no other way how's anyone else ever how could they ever have got saved any other way how
will they ever get saved any other way in the future it's nonsense it's another gospel it's
wicked all right it's wicked because basically you're you're basically reducing the power of
the gospel by trying to claim there's multiple ways to God it's a lie okay it's a lie but
Romans 4 shows us what the point of the circumcision was so it says in verse 9 says
in Romans 4 verse 9 cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the
uncircumcision also for we say that faith was record to Abraham for righteousness how was it
then reckoned when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in
uncircumcision okay so long before he is about to be circumcised here
that the righteousness was reckoned to him by faith while he was in uncircumcision look at
verse 11 and he received now notice these words here the sign of circumcision a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all
them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also
so circumcision was a sign and a seal of faith it was an outward showing but it had no bearing on
salvation okay no bearing at all in salvation it was a sign and seal it was a showing an outward
showing and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only but who also walk
in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had yet being yet uncircumcised for the
promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law
but through the righteousness of faith so Abraham received the sign of circumcision he was commanded
that all males in his household did the same okay now we see clearly that that everything was through
faith though the promises were through faith the fact that he became the heir of the world you know
and his seed was was not through the law but through the righteousness of faith so what was
the circumcision well we've just seen it was a sign it was a seal an outward sign a seal of faith
now the expectation therefore is that all his household would therefore be of faith too that's
what I believe we're seeing here so the fact that his whole household there is an expectation there
on Abraham that his whole household including his train service including all these people remember
he had like these 318 or 60 or whatever it was trying so all these people the expectation is
that they would therefore be of faith and I think there's a lesson there that God expects us as men
to get our family saved God expects your families those young and now just to make it clear here
okay we're talking about the young here Abraham he's only just like Ishmael's still young we see
he's like 13 years old okay and obviously Abraham's been saved for many years at this point
as well but so I'm not talking about those that there are people that have situations where they've
come to faith later in life but if you if you're in faith and you have a young family and you have
people in your household and for Abraham it's a big household right okay the expectation is that
they get saved yeah we should be getting them saved that should be like our first priority
get them saved make sure they're safe and you think and sometimes if you ever wonder how do you
get saved and not end up getting your family saved I'll tell you how it's it's the the lusts
of other things coming in and choking the word isn't it that's what it is it's the distractions
it's the sin it's a backsliding it's just almost running away and hiding from God do you think
those people do you think those people that many of those people you've got saved over the years
or other people we know that have been saving their backs didn't those people that are maybe
whether they're sitting in the bottom of a of a beer bottle in a pub somewhere or or you know
on the drugs or whatever else it is whatever sin it is it's it's you know they've just indulged
and pulled out do you think they're just sitting there going thinking about how they're going to
preach the gospel to this person that person of course they're not do you know what they're
thinking about they're distracted by their sin while we're needing more of that sin because
it's such it just it's it's bondage it's chains around people's necks and that's sadly how it
stops that line doesn't it it's it's a deceitfulness of sin and once people get into and get pulled into
it they're so much less likely to them preaching to the next generation next generation after them
and it may be that person maybe that kid gets saved but then that kid just goes off the rails
and doesn't even ever work out how to effectively preach the gospel to those after them and it just
and you just see this weakening in this fizzling out well here the expectation i believe the fact
that he's told to circumcise them all and it's a sign an outward sign is basically saying they
should be then getting saved as well right from the young to the old and and that's what
circumcision is a picture of now go back to romans chapter 2 you're in romans 4 because the real
circumcision is inward okay and that comes with faith in christ so we see that that the the
circumcision as most people would know it is is a sign a seal of the righteousness of the faith
which he had but romans 2 and verse 28 shows us what real circumcision in terms of when it comes
to faith is it says in verse 28 of romans 2 for he is not a jew which is one outwardly neither is
that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but here's a jew which is one inwardly and
circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men
but of god turn over to colossians 2 which spells this out even clearer so we've seen that
circumcision is that of the heart well how does that work and that's what the circumcision
ultimately is a sign of is the circumcision of the heart at colossians chapter 2 colossians
chapter 2 and verse 10 talking of jesus christ says this in colossians 2 10 and ye are complete
in him which is the head of all principality and power in whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision
of christ so circumcision is a picture of the putting away of the sinful flesh that's what it's
picturing there buried with him in baptism wherein also you're arisen with him through the faith of
the operation of god who has raised him from the dead and you being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh have he quickened together with him having forgiven you all
trespasses blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us which was contrary
to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross then having spoiled principalities and
powers he made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it so the uncircumcised is a picture
of the unsaved with circumcision being a picture of the putting away of the sinful flesh through
faith in jesus christ that's what it's meant to be so go back to genesis 17 with that in mind
genesis chapter 17 where god said in verse 9 it says and god said unto abraham thou shalt keep my
covenant therefore thou and i see it after in their generations this is my covenant which
ye shall keep between me and you and i see it after thee every man child among you shall be
circumcised you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin it shall be a token of the covenant
betwixt me and you and he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every man child in
your generations he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which is not of
thy seed he that is born in our house and he that is bought with thy money must needs be circumcised
my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant so why either why either
of them because if they're of your house dwelling with you well god does tell us not to be unequally
yoked doesn't he so you don't want a load of people servants living in your home living amongst
your family amongst you know your day-to-day life who are then unsaved so the point is it's a sign
yeah it's not saying that circus i'm not trying to say so precision saves but it's a sign of their
salvation and they're basically the the expectation there is that they're circum is that they're
saved they're saved and therefore circumcised okay because do you would you want a load of
unsaved people living in your home no you don't do you now sadly that can be the case sometimes
when it comes to families and things when it's later in faith but ideally you want them to be
saved don't you okay and that's what what i believe that is there now you could look at this
and say yeah but why eight days old why eight days old well it is the safest point okay
when i believe from what i understand that the clotting facts of vitamin k levels
then get to their high point after birth so it's a safe level for that kind of thing where you're
going to get blood loss basically okay so it it is a safe point to do it as at eight days old
when a child's first born their vitamin k levels are low which is why they you know the doctors
want to start jabbing them up with all sorts of weird stuff yeah but it's just a way that and
and they're actually there's good reason for that as well so that they don't end up you know getting
sort of internal clots and things like that as well however with that there is they have you
that's why like a little baby's very delicate you know it's something that should be very delicate
and delicately treated and everything else but as they get to that eight days they're able to clot
after a wound okay so that's why it's eight days old and you could argue therefore in reality
it's basically it's basically from birth isn't it it's at the earliest safe point is eight days
when it's safe to do that procedure but it's a picture of salvation so why not at six seven
eight years old or whatever age you might think that a child is probably able to understand the
gospel well for me firstly because a baby is born with no knowledge of good and evil they don't need
salvation yet do they okay there's no you don't need to get a baby like a baby's not unsaved a
baby's in the book of life yeah paul said in romans 7 9 for i was alive without the law once
but when the commandment came sin revived and i died okay there's a point when you're alive it's
when the commandment came for me that's when you're able to understand when you're able to
have the knowledge between good and evil that's when you're then dead in your sins yeah but also
perhaps because it shows what again what should be an inevitability for the child of a god-fearing
believer in god's will yeah your child if you if you've got if if you've had a child and you're
you're someone living for god and showing the sign of salvation through circumcision look that child
should get saved okay if you're living for god you're raising your kids as god tells you to from
young should there be any reason why they don't get saved at the first point requiring it if you're
living by the word if you're if you're if you're basically walking before god and walking in a
perfect way so you're trying to live complete you're trying to live for no you're not sinless
but you're trying to live for god you're serving god you're living for god you're reading the word
you raise your kids as the bible tells you to from young
look that you're already saved when they're born because they're getting certain
being the superstitions a sign of salvation you being saved that family is there any reason why
that child shouldn't get saved i don't see why not we love it when we hear kids that want to
hear the gospel because it's so easy to get saved so so why should your kid be any different
but why is it then that so many christians kids don't get saved and sometimes go the other way
it's because they're not doing what they're meant to be doing it's because they're not living for
god it's because they're not living right it's because they're not raising them how they should
do it's because they're getting all this other stuff from the world and everything else and then
even at that sort of age or those parents all of the time are already backsliding and everything
else not even thinking about that and then suddenly they're getting to the point already
they're getting hard-hearted because if you train a child up in a way he should go he will not
depart from it will he but if you if your kid's being trained up who knows where by who knows who
then you've got a problem haven't you because then suddenly they're getting brainwashed from
young and they're getting brainwashed from young by the way really young out there brainwashed
with all sorts of filth but a lot of the brainwash is good you go to heaven bad you go to hell and
all that sort of stuff and false religion everything else being shoved down the throat
and you've got a problem there then haven't you but here i believe it's from young because really
it should just be an expectation shouldn't it look everyone because i think sometimes people
fear and won't think my kids didn't get saved look if you're living right you're living for
god you're raising my god wants you to you're training them up in the way they should go
i don't see a reason why they shouldn't get saved now i know it's personal choice but if you raise
him how does god not want everyone god wants all saved doesn't he he's not willing that any should
perish but that all should come to repentance and and if if and he's told us how we should raise him
and how we should behave and how we should live and if you're trying to do that to the best of
your ability i believe therefore you're going to have it should be it should be a pretty short
short case i believe so with that that's why therefore look you're giving them that sign
of that because it's a sign of them basically it's a sign of salvation and that salvation should
never end because really as soon as that child is responsible for sin they should be understanding
the gospel anyway if you're raising them right yeah and by the way there's a there's no reverse
circumcision like there's no losing your salvation is there okay again it's a picture though just to
make that clear in case everyone's about to rush off and start calling up the local doctor the
jews down the road from the uh but he said in my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting
covenant by the way my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant it's an
everlasting covenant isn't it and and verse 14 back where we are in in genesis chapter 17 says
in the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his full skin is not circumcised that soul shall be
cut off from his people he had broken my covenant so this is a picture again a picture of the
unsaved with the eternal cutoff being the lake of fire brimstone outer darkness okay that's what
that's a picture of verse 15 and god said unto abraham as for sarah i thy wife here we can start
calling sarah now thou shalt not call her name sarah i but sarah shall her name be and sarah
meaning princess of the multitude it seems he said and i will bless her and give thee a son
also of her yeah i'll bless her and she shall be a mother of nations kings of people shall be of her
then abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart shall a child be born unto him
that is 100 years old and shall sarah that is 90 years old bear and even with the longer lifespan
abraham being 100 and sarah bearing at 90 years old was still an amazing thing okay that's why
it's kind of a big deal obviously and abraham was clearly amazed but he didn't say no way did
he he didn't go no chance that's not happening he's just you can see just just amazed he's just
a bit kind of dumbstruck by it or maybe not dumbstruck or he is he's saying in his heart
shall a child be born unto him that is 100 years old shall say there's 90 years old bear
verse 18 says and abraham said unto god oh the ishmael might live before thee and god said
sarah thy wife shall bear the son indeed and thou shalt call his name isaac and i will establish
my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him and as for ishmael
i have heard thee behold i have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him
exceedingly 12 princes shall he beget i'll make him a great nation but my covenant will i establish
with isaac which sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year so there's ishmael
his first son by by hagar okay remember was a was a bomb mate and then isaac who's going to be
born of sarah okay who was his original wife now a bit of a coincidence wouldn't you say that ishmael
is going to have 12 sons i find that a bit of a strange coincidence well it's not is ishmael
and isaac are a picture of something so turn to galatians chapter 4 galatians chapter 4 verse 19
just read where we were in genesis 17 and god said sarah thy wife shall bear the son indeed
and thou shall call his name isaac and i will establish my covenant with him
he's talking about isaac for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him isaac
being the younger of the two yet the one to inherit the promises and galatians 4 verse 21
galatians 4 21 says this is paul speaking to the church at galatia says tell me ye that desire
to be under the law do ye not hear the law for it is written that abraham had two sons
the one by a bondmaid okay that's hagar the other by free woman that's sarah and he who was of the
bond woman was born after the flesh but he of the free woman was by promise this is ishmael and isaac
which things are an allegory for these are the two covenants the one from the mount sinai which
gender the bondage which is agar and that's just an uh kind of the greek way of saying hagar so
this is the old covenant which was given in mount sinai represented by hagar gender basically creates
procreates bondage okay which creates bondage for this agar is mount sinai in arabia and answers to
jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children so specifically it results in bondage and
for me due to those that choose to remain under the bondage of the law that's why now now that
was not the idea it's not that there was a problem with the law it's because of those that want to
hold on to the law for salvation okay and those and and that's where it gender thought it creates
bondage but jerusalem verse 26 which is above is free which is the mother of us all and now
this is represented by sarah for it is written rejoice our baron that bear us not talk about
sarah break forth in crime thou that travail us not for the desolate have many more children than
she which have and husband the desolate those that are unsaved there are a lot more unsaved
works are gracious and there are saved out there ever notice that ever notice when you're knocking
doors how few people are actually saved it's quite nice when you find the safe ones isn't it
and you do get them down again but there are a lot more unsaved people aren't there
okay well the desolate have many more children and she which has a husband now we brethren as
isaac was are the children of promise but as then he that was born off the flesh persecuted him that
was born off the spirit even so it is now so that's to come in genesis 21 when ishmael is
mocking isaac which continues the picture of what's to come and and that's kind of an ongoing thing
isn't it and obviously a big part of that is the the jew in inverted comments right persecuted
christians but work salvationists persecute believers they always have done they always
will do okay they hate us we're the religion really that they hate the true religion
you know they'll come out with all their their scorn in comments of free grace one two three
repeat after me type stuff the you know anything they can you know oh yeah yeah like you just have
to believe you know it's mocking scorning they hate it absolutely hate it like we said before
these guys oh they're happy with each other the repent of your sins doesn't mind the lordship
salvation guy the lordship salvation guy doesn't mind that you can use you can lose your your
salvation guy and all these different versions of they don't mind that the calvinists you know with
these perseverance of the saints doctor you know all these different back to front or whatever
versions of work salvation they ain't got a problem with you ever seen them with passion
these guys about any of them they don't even care i've heard them say stuff like oh but there's some
good people amongst the charismatics and what good people are you talking about they're all unsaved
devils but but they don't care do you know who they really care about people preaching the gospel
preaching free grace they hate it and what passion what passion will you hear from the
old ifb repent of your sins pastor for people such as pastor stephen anderson and others for
the nifb or whatever else and people and and do you know do you know what it is it's the same
passion that i've heard some of these guys have against people like jack carles and others it's
people preaching the truth they hate us they hate us and they'll end up believe me they're
as as we start to kind of make more of a noise and they realize we're here to stay because they're
probably hoping that wasn't going to be the case it'll be the same for myself and anyone else
preaching from behind this pulpit they will hate us they hate all of you and really because why
because we preach the gospel because we preach the truth they hate it and the persecution has always
been really it's from the work salvationists but obviously at the top of that is the synagogue of
satan gang isn't it he said in verse 30 nevertheless what serve the scripture
cast out the bond woman and her son for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son
of the free woman and that's what they're angry about and that's ultimately what the what the
jew in inverted commas again is angry about the children of bondage the work salvationists jews
getting cast out replaced by all believers as god's nation that's what's happened okay that
happened a couple of thousand years ago now just about so then brethren we are not children of the
bond woman but of the free so right back in genesis 17 and you don't have to go there because we're
going to go to romans 9 but god's giving us pictures of what's to come of the jews at that
you know and we're going to you know in the future that is being cast out and he's given us those
pictures back in genesis chapter 17 oh it's amazing the word of god is absolutely amazing
tone of romans 9 yeah so then some of these blasphemous zionists okay will say oh but god's
not done with the jews okay obviously we talk about this stuff a lot because a lot of us will
have heard these sorts of comments from at previous churches they'll say things like they're still his
people you know the jews are still god's people he's not done with them yet and the truth is no
the works of ashes are done and the jews being at the pinnacle of that cast out no longer his
children they're no longer they're done and and well no they're not okay let's be honest god is
not done with the jews yet because they are still the lake of fire awaiting them okay and that's
what's going to happen they are going to be burning and these people these top people they're
all these the synagogue of satan rabbis and leaders and all these guys are going to be burning
in the lowest depths of hell because they're wicked blasphemous god-hating reprobate devils
that's what they are okay and he did say here they're getting cast out okay they're getting
cast out he said it says here nevertheless what's there for scripture cast out the bond woman her
son for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman and who's
the son of the free woman us those who have faith in christ alone so then brethren we are not the
children of the bond woman but of the free Romans 9 where you've turned says here verse 6 not as
though the word of god has taken no effect for they're not all israel which are of israel
neither because they're the seed of abraham and they're all children but in isaac shall i see
be called again talk about this picture of isaac the children promise that is they which are the
children of the flesh these are not the children of god pictured being the those of ishmael but
the children of the promise accounted for the seed and we just read galatians 4 28 which said
now we brethren as isaac was of the children of promise that's all believers out there
every believer so back in genesis genesis 17 when we read and god said sarah thy wife shall
bear the son indeed in verse 19 and thou shalt call his name isaac and i will establish my
covenant with him for an everlasting covenant with his seed after him and as for ishmael i have heard
thee behold i have blessed him and will make him fruitful multiply him exceedingly 12 prince shall
he beget and i'll make him a great nation but my covenant will i establish with isaac which sarah
shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year as well as being real people with real
children in real lives god used them to be a prophetic picture of what's to come that's why
i said in verse one i am the almighty god well it's not the one reason but just one of many
reasons right how am i at least it's amazing isn't it it's amazing you're reading it like this is
real history this is every word of god is true okay every single word of this is true and we're
reading the history of people that somehow know how god's worked a way of their choices and some
of them bad choices resulting in a prophetic picture of what was to come in the future
of basically and even then having these 12 sons which is a picture then of basically the the
unbelieving jews and just amazing isn't it absolutely amazing verse 22 says and he left off
talking with him and god went up for aba so he wasn't it wasn't him talking out the clouds was
it it wasn't like a booming voice he went up because he was down at that point that's jesus
christ again because if you stand there talking to him face to face that can't be god the father
because you can't see god the father and live so again we just seen jesus christ the next time
previously we saw him in a chapter of four described as an angel of the lord now we we're
seeing him described as just god talking with abraham and and you go why does it not consistent
because that's the way the bible is the bible the bible's great it's so rich and it needs study and
the more you study you look at and then you find these little things it doesn't it feel like you're
achieving things all the time it's just such an amazing book and when you see these little things
it would be such a rubbish book well it'd still be a great it wouldn't be anywhere near as good if it
just throughout was just constantly going and this was him then and this was him there and everything
else you'd be like that's a bit you know it's not quite as fun is it it's not quite satisfying when
you start to see these things and start to peel away the layers it's amazing isn't it absolutely
amazing verse 23 says and abraham took ishmael his son and all that were born in his house and
all that were brought with his money every male among the men of abraham's house has circumcised
the flesh of their foreskin a few weeks later after he'd had a sit down a cup of tea and
thought about it and talked about it with sarah it was the self-same day as god had said unto him
that's the right mentality isn't it yeah he's told to do something by god self-same day does it we
could learn a lot from that couldn't we that verse alone the self-same day because you could forgive
him for putting it off couldn't you i mean he's just been told to he basically just he's about to
perform over 300 circumcisions there were 300 and something trained servants that's without anyone
else they might have added in the meantime i mean i can understand abraham going yeah just need to
train up a little bit first couple of youtube vids and you know youtube videos on circumcision give
me five minutes i'm done right okay maybe like just let me sit down and think about it i need
to get some sharper scalp holes or whatever else sorry i'm giving you a bit of an image now but
but he didn't self-same day self-same day and and look how often does god tell you something
and you don't respond straight away every single one of us here right how often does god tell you
something maybe in your daily bible reading maybe when you come to church you hear the bible preached
maybe in one way or another you're told something and do you respond the self-same day
but we should shouldn't we because he's the almighty god and he's telling you something
and he's revealing something to you and he's telling you a way you should live a way you
should act a way you should behave something you should do something you should work out to sort
out this or do this and how often do we go yeah i'll have a think about that oh i better go and
study a bit i better go and see who pastor fill in the blank said about that actually
i i bet i could find someone who might read this a slightly different way or something else no look
what does the bible say yeah what is the word if the word of god's clear and god's clearly
telling you something our response should be like abraham here and in the self-same day we should
do it even if it's something as off-putting as performing hundreds of circumcisions
but abraham had the right attitude because god told him to do it didn't he
yeah that's a great lesson there isn't it and abraham was 90 years old and nine when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin and ishmael his son was 13 years old when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin in the self-same day was abraham circumcised in ishmael
his son by the way he led from the front as well so he didn't go right you lot you all line up i'm
you can wait for me all right shut up like i'm in my 90s do i really need to look you might you
might think yeah well look i bet a lot of people would have done that they're going well yeah i
mean i'm getting all of them done but come on what difference it make to me now compete that's what
we do don't we start trying to justify and explain i know god tells you do this however my situation's
a bit too look i've lost count the amount of times people have said things to me like that well
you know i know the bible says this but this is a situation or this it's like yeah but what does
god say yeah find a way and do it god said get circumcised we got circumcised but how many people
would have gone well yeah i'm well in my 90s let's do everyone else and then we'll kind of think
about it you know maybe you know see see what happens give it a few weeks and you know what
happens when you when you leave it as well it doesn't happen does it does it happen when you
leave it when you're told to do something and you put it off it starts to get put off and put
off and put off the best time to act and i've had times in the past where my i know like you know
right here somewhere right now but where my my wife has probably been a bit frustrated by my
acting quite quickly on the word of god you know like right we're incorporating this now you know
this is changing right blah blah but it is the best way isn't it because you know what if i
don't do that and i'm like yeah i'll have a think we'll just slowly start to change this in our life
well let's see how things work out do you know what's going to happen it ain't going to get
changed i ain't going to do it the right response is the self-same day to go right i've just been
convicted of something i've been told something oh god let's get on with it and and uh look maybe
right now you're thinking about things i hope you are maybe right now you're thinking about things
in your head that yeah i know i've been convicted about that or this or that and you know what you're
being reminded again today get on with it do it make that call do it for god do it by faith because
you can understand as well i'm going yeah okay i understand but maybe god kind of wanted me to do
a training course on circumcision first maybe when he said go and do it yeah but and then we'll
quickly try and work out a way would it be sensible to just jump straight into it and do it
he did it and god bless him didn't he and you'll get those shaky moments i'm sure something
okay i'm not gonna go to him i'm sure it wasn't all straightforward but you know what he did it
i'm sure god blessed everything he did because he went right god told me to do something and
it said in the self-same day verse 26 was abraham circumcised and ishmael his son and all the men of
his house born in the house and bought with money of the stranger were circumcised with him so he
looked the whole lot the whole lot okay he didn't let anyone anyone off the hook on that one it was
a whole lot and last point on this just just a quick kind of uh just just an extra at the end
here because if you look at this and going right so uh and i'm sure there's no one here that is but
someone might be watching this in the future sitting here maybe they are thinking so are we
meant to go and get circumcised now maybe they kind of switched off during the whole thing and
then you know all they heard was the end me going and abraham went and did it and they're like oh
man okay look that was something that's an old testament thing that so neither circumcision or
uncircumcision availeth okay there is look it makes no difference now however there is a point
in this as well that if someone chooses to that's their choice as well some people kind of have
reasons why they think it's a good reason good idea there seemed to be a bit of a push for this
especially in the u.s i think quite a few decades ago where they were kind of trying to encourage
it as being a healthy hygienic thing look whatever really they want to do it do it they don't as long
as they don't think they're somehow adding something to the salvation with it okay that's
done away with okay in terms of it's not a sign of salvation it's not like something god commands
you to do anymore it definitely had never had anything to do with salvation okay but if you
decide look that's something of you know people you have or you haven't look that's up to you
all right okay and there's no like issues with that however it's got that we're not that you
want to be under the law here's a point that the bible says you want to do that and you think it's
to do with the law well you're dead to do the whole law okay it's got nothing to do with there's
no such thing as works you cannot work your way to heaven it's impossible okay and this has no bearing
on that however it's a bit of a just a non-issue now you want to do it do it you don't you know
um okay that was genesis 17 and yeah a bit of a kind of you know i don't know grim for some maybe
not for others maybe the ladies don't care the men maybe kind of were wincing a bit with that
but um look that's that's uh genesis 17 um i hope that uh that's maybe reinforced a few things and
for me the standout message there is clearly look when god tells us to do something let's do it
right right Abraham did that on that we're going to finish up the word of prayer
father thank you for your word thank you for um well for the many lessons that we just got out
of that chapter there um none more so probably than just what a great response from Abraham for
something which was new to him as well lord something which you know many of us here probably
really wouldn't like the idea of but um Abraham you told him to do it and he did it and and there
are many things in our lives that you know you tell us to do and we don't do that are probably
much easier much less of an issue than what Abraham ended up doing for not just himself
his whole household there help us to maybe be inspired by that lord and help us help us also
to just remember you know that all those promises are to us by faith lord and to not get not get
pulled away with this Zionism that we've been talking about a bit recently from behind this
pulpit um and and also lord just to remember that you know it's not just the Zionism it's just all
these works salvationists you know they're so far away from it lord they they don't have any
of those promises but with that they're going to persecute us they're going to hate us for it but
help us to be strong help us to just accept that and to just understand that that's part of being
saved and um part of going out and preach your gospel help us to go out and uh continue to preach
it lord help us get this building finished thank you for everything you've done for us in wickford
thank you for the last year lord help us to go on to great things now that we're going to south end
help us all get home safe for sound and in return on sunday not here but in south end
for the first service center just don't pray all of this amen