The God Who Sees

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The God Who Sees</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id484.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dealing With Doubts On The Journey Of Fa"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id486.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A New Lifestyle for the Journey of Faith"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> "The God Who Sees," </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+16:1-16" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Genesis 16:1-16</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, October 23-24, 2004</B></div> <bR> <div>      Malcolm Forbes said, "It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem," (<I>The Sayings of Chairman Malcolm</I>). H. L. Mencken said, "For every complex problem there is a simple solution - and it is always wrong." Church futurist Len Sweet wrote, "I grew up listening to Eric Sevareid on the evening news. In one of his last commentaries, Sevareid said this: 'I've finally figured out one of the fundamental causes of our problems - our solutions'" (<I>Rev</I>. Magazine, Nov-Dec 2002).</div> <div>      Many times, we try to solve our problems based on "assumed results" rather than on God's principles. We are pragmatic, rather than principle-centered. We might say, "If it works and accomplishes results, it must be good," or "the ends justify the means." Therefore, to achieve whatever results we desire, we might practice: manipulation and deception instead of truth; selfish conflict instead of kindness and generosity; greedily digging deep into debt instead of saving and giving; bitterness instead of forgiveness; demanding our own way, rather than being forbearing and flexible; prideful and boasting rather than humbly quiet. Whatever serves our aims and advances our agenda. When there is a conflict between God's principles and our cultural ways of doing things, we usually choose our cultural ways.</div> <div>      God's plan for blessing people and accomplishing his work is <B>not</B> helped by "human solutions" that violate his principles.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. In waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled, you will be tempted to take some short-cuts.</B></div> <div> <B>A. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+16:1-3" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Genesis 16:1-3</B></U></A><B>: The brilliant but incorrect solution.</B></div> <div>      Abram and Sarai were 10 years in Canaan (vs. 3), waiting for the promise of having a child. Time seemed to be running short. Here is another case of trying to help God out. In ch. 15, Abram offered God some options; here in ch. 16, they just went ahead with their plan, without consulting God and seeking his direction.</div> <div>      Sarai's proposal (vs. 2) was in keeping with social customs. It would have "made sense" and been reasonable in that culture. Yet it was not approved by God - God's intention was for monogamy of a man and a woman for life (Gen 2:24). </div> <bR> <div> <B>B. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+16:4-6" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Genesis 16:4-6</B></U></A><B>, </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+16:12" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>12</B></U></A><B>: The brilliant solution didn't work out so well.</B></div> <div>      While Abram and Sarai thought they were eliminating a problem, an obstacle to God's program of blessing and provision, they were in fact <I>creating</I> problems and obstacles (Walton, p. 454).</div> <div>      Hagar began to treat Sarai poorly (vs. 4). Sarai blamed Abram for Hagar mistreating and disrespecting Sarai (vs. 5). Abram should have made Hagar know "her place." He had acted passively in this whole situation. Hagar was now in a privileged position, enviable, even if she was a servant to Sarai; she began to assert her equality with her. She was able to bear children, and would be the mother of Abram's child, instead of Sarai being the mother of his child. It's pretty easy to see why there would be a problem.</div> <div>      So Hagar ran away (headed back to Egypt, presumably; vs. 6). There is hardly any protection for the heir of Abram if the child's mother has deserted the situation, and is headed home. He would never see his child! This wasn't working out as planned. She had probably traveled about 70 miles, and had been on the road for a week, traveling through inhospitable countryside, pregnant and alone. And the Lord made it clear that her Hagar's son would not get along with others, there would be conflicts and complications between him and his brothers (vs. 12).</div> <div>      You can plan for certain results, but you cannot control the results once choices are made. Sarai should have seen the possibility that Hagar might have a problem with this; it was a consequence that was out of her control. We control our choices, but not the consequences of our choices, and we certainly cannot control the responses of other people.</div> <div>      God didn't "bless" their new plans and calculations. He had already blessed them, and they were to wait for it, not grab at it using actions and methods counter to the promises and principles of God. God had a better way of doing things, and their "solutions" were not adequate, and God would not allow their solutions to take the place of his plans and blessings.</div> <bR> <div> <B>C. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+16:7-16" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Genesis 16:7-16</B></U></A><B>: God showed his mercy and got his program back on track, in spite of their "brilliant" solutions.</B></div> <div>      God <I>encouraged</I> Hagar. It is in the place of waiting, often at the end of our rope, or at the end of the dead-end path we went down, that we meet with God, because he in his mercy takes the initiative to meet with us. God hears our cries and sees our need.</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. God's plan for blessing (in this world and in your life) is carried out when we follow his direction and depend on his power.</B></div> <div>      We must live and act under God's direction and and his power. We must do the things he wants us to do, in the way he wants us to do them, with the strength he provides. Apart from <I>divine guidance</I>, we do not <I>know</I> right from wrong. It is not something we can consistently figure out on our own. And apart from <I>divine help</I>, we are not able to live out what is right instead of what is wrong.</div> <bR> <div>      Following God's direction and depending on his power requires <U>four things</U>: </div> <div> 1) Read his word and learn its precepts and principles. </div> <div>      Learn his principles about truth, about love, about relationships, about work, about money, about goals and dreams. It's all in there, and it makes sense, and it actually works.</div> <div>      "A school teacher lost her life savings in a business scheme that had been elaborately explained by a swindler. When her investment disappeared and her dream was shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau. `Why on earth didn't you come to us first?' the official asked. `Didn't you know about the Better Business Bureau?'</div> <div> `Oh, yes,' said the lady sadly. `I've always known about you. But I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it.' The folly of human nature is that even though we know where the answers lie - God's Word - we don't turn there for fear of what it will say." [We have an idea of what God would say, but we still think our way is best, then it turns out horribly, and we wish we would have gone God's way in the first place, until the next time.] (Jerry Lambert; Bible.org, Source unknown)</div> <bR> <div> 2) Ask in prayer for God's will, his direction,and his strength. </div> <div>      In chapter 15, Abram had an "improvement" on God's plan, so he took it to God, and God said, "no, my plan is better." In chapter 16, there is not evidence that they took their "brilliant solution" to God. They just went ahead with it. Take the time to talk to God about your choices, <I>before</I> you go through with them.</div> <bR> <div> 3) <I>Wait</I> on him to provide his direction and strength and to fulfill his promises. </div> <div>      Abram and Sarai were to keep waiting. Hagar was to go back to Abram and Sarai and keep waiting (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+16:9-10" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>vss. 9-10</U></A>). God would come through, if they would just wait long enough.</div> <bR> <div> 4) Realign yourselves with the will of God when you digress from the path. </div> <div>      Our digressions do not surprise God, and he is able to keep moving his plan for blessing forward, even when we fall down or take a different pathway. God longs to show compassion and grace. (But there may be a price to pay, in consequence and complications.)</div> <div>      John Walton wrote, "There was a picture book that our family enjoyed when the kids were young entitled <I>Going the Moose Way Home</I>." [It is a book about a year in the life of a very unusual moose, who is "on his way home"' to Moosewood, Minnesota. Moose "is tall, a hill on hoofs, and [has] thin stork legs." Empathic and outgoing, Moose wants to share his Christmas dinner of frozen blueberries and lily pads with lonesome cows. Moose doesn't fear trolls or the dark (although he does fear ``thunder, and ghosts''), likes blueberries and root beer, and once eats his way across a pond ``tiled with green lily pads.'' He helps the Easter Rabbit deliver his eggs; champions animals afraid to cross a Troll Bridge; and cheers up a sad skunk on Valentine's Day (taken from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal on Amazon.com)]. The various adventures the moose experiences "draw him out of his routine or away from  his intentions. Despite the unexpected or digressive nature of whatever turn of events he encounters, he always finds he has significant experiences or has made valued friendships `going the moose way home.' We have picked up the phrase as a family explanation for when things are not turning out the way we expect - we are simply `taking the moose way.'" (John Walton, <I>NIV Application Commentary: Genesis</I>, p. 470).</div> <bR> <div> <B>Questions for Thought and Discussion:</B></div> <div> 1. What areas in your life are you most tempted to take a short cut? In your business or school work, your family and relationships, or your relationships with God? Some other area?</div> <bR> <div> 2. You are able to choose your actions. Are you choosing an action that you know has costly consequences? Are you just praying that God will spare you the consequences of your bad choices? It's time to make a change, to align yourself with God's pathway - he offers his compassion to you. What will be your first step?</div> <bR> <div> 3. Do you have a plan to read through the Bible? This week, obtain a plan to read with purpose and direction. Do you have a specific time to pray each day? If not,  put it in your daily schedule - make that appointment with God each day.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2004, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>