(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

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