Sermon – “He Will Do as He Said He Will Do”

And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” 8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20 So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seven-ty-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his broth-er’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

10 One of them said, “I’m coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man. 11-12 Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a hus-band?”

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”[a] 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

God is so faithful he is so faithful and kind you know oftentimes we will say we will do this or that or certain things and we always say with the best intentions that we are going to do what we tell this person that we’re going to do but sometimes we fail our lives are busy so many things keep us from doing what we hope to do for that person but I can assure you this God will never fail us he will always do he will do as he said he will do he will never get too busy he will never not have the strength of the resources to help you do what he says he will do our God will do as he says going to continue in Genesis this morning Genesis Chapter twenty one verses one through twenty one but let’s go to the Lord in prayer first heavenly father we do thank you thank you for your presence in our lives not just here within the walls of this building but father for your presence in our lives each and every day through your Holy Spirit that spirit guides us that leads us in the paths that you would have us to go helps us word to have understanding of your word as we open your word may we be faithful to always pray and seek the I understand dine understanding the knowledge and wisdom father just increase our wisdom increase our understanding Father help us as a church to be faithful to you faithful in all that you have called us to do May your presence be here today open our hearts to receive what you have forced this day father and may it be for your glory in Jesus’ name amen Genesis Chapter twenty one verses one through twenty one and the Lord visited Sarah as he said and the Lord did first say there as he had spoken so if you want to where I got my title you just found that out in the very first verse. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age and set at the set time of which God had spoken to him and Abraham called the name of his son whom he had borne to him whom Sarah bored to or to him Isaac the neighbor hand circumcised his son when he was eight days old as God commanded him now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him and Sarah said God has made me to laugh and all who hear will laugh with me so also she also said who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children for I have borne him a son in his old age think about that for just a moment a pause all those that knew that I mean he had many servants there were many neighbors all those who knew Abraham and Sarah knew that they were very old and who would have thought come on who would have thought that they were going to have a child to Sarah would nurse a child and nobody be realistic none of their neighbors none of the servants none of those in their family would have ever thought that she would nurse a child is all she was so the child grew and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was Wayne and Sarah saw all the son of hag are the Egyptian whom she had borne to Abraham scoffing meaning he was poking fun at Isaac he was poking fun at him and torment him and he was about thirteen years of age approximately his name was Ishmael Therefore she said to Abraham cast out this bomb woman and her son for the son of this bomb woman shall not be heir with my son namely with Isaac and the matter was very displeasing to in Abraham’s sight because of his son. He did love his son Ishmael so it did displease him you mean he had been a son for thirteen years he loved him and enjoyed playing with him doing the things that fathers and sons do but God said to Abraham Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad because of your body or because of your bondwoman whatever Sarah has said listen said to you listen to her voice for in Isaac your seed shall be called yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bomb woman because he is your seed So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and putting it on her shoulder he gave it to Aunt to gave it and a boy to Hagler and sent her away then she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Berseba and the water in the skin was used up and she placed a boy under one of the shrubs and she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot for she said to resell for let me not see the death of the boy so she sat opposite him and lifted her voice and wept and God heard the voice of the lad then the angel of God called to hag our out of heaven and said to her what ails you had our fear not for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is arise lift up the lad and hold him with your hand for I will make him a great nation so you see there is another promise he said I will make him a great nation then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water and she went and filled the skin with water and gave it to the lad to drink so God was with the lad and he grew and well in the wilderness and became an archer he dwelt in the wilderness a program and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt they got out his blessings to the hearing and reading of His Holy Word friends for the nation of Israel and many other nations for that matter bareness was considered a woman’s and a family’s greatest misfortune I don’t know that all people today. Hold the ability to be able to bear children with high with as high of importance as they did for them it was a great misfortune because the highest sanctions of religion and pager tism bless a fruitful woman because children were necessary for the preservation of the tribe or the family or even the religion think about it even the church children they are the future they’re the future of the church how else will the church continue without children we need children in the church we need to have children in the church to teach them about God to train them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord is really quite amazing when you look at the beginning of the Nation of Israel it began when God called Abraham out of his father’s country that was the very beginning of the Nation of Israel when Abraham said yes he will go but when you look at that you know I have personally often Ritter referred to I worship the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob I mean that’s kind of how we can identify God right has anybody ever done if I go that way the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob because they are three of the great patriarchs well how amazing that each of these men Abraham Isaac and Jacob their wives Sarah Rebecca and Rachel were all by nature sterile all three of them how ironic is that but through God special intervention through his favor for the nation of Israel for his ability to fulfill what he promised that he would do he bless them he opened their wombs Psalms one thirty nine says he grants the barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children praise the Lord. Abraham was one hundred years old as the scripture said when his son Isaac was born sinner was ninety years of age yourself the very first time that God promised Abraham that he would have a son that he would become a great nation was twenty five years prior to this in Genesis twelve versus two through five says I will make you a great nation I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you brothers and sisters I believe that still holds true today that we should bless the nation of Israel and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed so Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him and Lot went with him and Abraham was seventy five years old when he departed from her ran so in order to become a Great Nation friends what do you have to have children you have to have children if you’re going to be a great nation and multiply is pretty hard to do if you don’t have children you have to have children so there was the promise the promise was there when he called him out of the land and at this time at the time of the promise remember he had no children Sarah had not born to Abraham and the children at that time they were already considered beyond the child bearing age so twenty five years had passed since the promise was first given that he would become a great nation before the birth of his son Isaac the name Isaac means to laugh to laugh that’s the reason he was instructed the name is son Isaac because Sarah when she heard the end of the Lord tell Weyburn ham that he would be a father see laughed because of her old age when one thinks about this really really God got the last laugh didn’t God got the last laugh in that situation she knew I can’t build bear children I really like the message Bibles interpretation of this scripture for description of the scripture in Genesis eighteen verses ten through twelve I’m not sure I’ve sent that one in the message one of them said. Speaking of the angel speaking one of them said I’m coming back about this time next year so really between the lines and come back in about nine months when I arrive your wife Sarah will have a son Sarah was listening at the tent opening just behind the man so I got a nice Chuck were busy now that there Sara she’s behind the little door of the curtain of the tent John listen what was he say and what he’s saying to my husband says listen and to ing Abraham and Sarah were old by this time very old Sarah was far past the age for having babies so my interpretation of that as my mother in law was knows is she was well advantaged in years well advanced in years Sarah laughed within herself and said an old woman like me get pregnant with this old man of a husband sees right through with this old man of a husband try to place yourself in Sarah’s shoes now for us guys I know that that’s kind of impossible for us to do but just humor me bear with me Sara has that great desire she’s always had that great desire because I said that is a blessing for them she had a great desire to conceive and continue the family family name and she knew that when God called them out he said I will bless use and make you a great nation but brothers and sisters with every passing month she thought it hasn’t happened yet and then the year went by nothing yet and then another year and another year another year she knew Sarah knew with every passing month and every passing year that her chances of having a child grew more slim and less likely to happen because she knew that she was getting older and older and older so eventually twenty four years had passed. Before the angels spoke with Abraham last time but here’s the thing Sarah’s actions reveal that midway through this twenty four years she really had doubts as a matter of fact her doubts grew greater than her belief that she would become pregnant because midway through she says well I guess I’m going to have to take things into my own hands I’m going to have to help God out Genesis sixteen one and two says now Sarai Abrams wife had bored him born him no children and she had an Egyptian maid servant whose name was hag are so surprised said Abraham see now the Lord has restrain me from bearing children please go into my mate perhaps I shall obtain children by her and Abraham he did her voice I have to wonder if she was really in her heart hoping that even high guard wouldn’t have a child by Abraham hoping that it was his fault and not her own but we know that she did bear a child for Abraham and they named him Ishmael proverbs nineteen verses twenty twenty one says listen to the counsel and receive instruction that you may be wise in your latter days there are many plans in a man’s or a woman’s heart Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel that will stand don’t take matters into your own hands that’s the lesson for us don’t take matters into our own hands if God says he is going to do something for you you can trust that he will do it you can depend on it he will do what he said he will do even with that old man of a husband of Serapis he can bring forth a child and if he can do that he can do the impossible because it wasn’t possible when we take matters into your hands they will usually come with some kind of consequence. If is it against God’s will Sarah experience some consequences for her decision to give Haggard Abraham when you think about that situation just invision it in your mind as I said she may have had some thoughts I hope it doesn’t happen but it did so haggard are boring Abraham a child and you could see that a Abraham love that child because it it broke his heart to have to send him away but every passing year is a is Ishmael grew she’s thinking and she was able to do what I couldn’t do she was able to bless my husband with a child something that I have longed to do so I’m sure that there were regrets there were jealousies come on this is to women there’s jealousies there I’m sure that there was some tension in that home and I’m sure that even haggle Our see maybe got a little. Prideful I was able to bear a beautiful son for Abraham you couldn’t do it Sarah solved Ishmael mocking tormenting Ishmael Ishmael was aware of the great change in his prospects and under the impulse of irritating or resentful feelings probably maybe enticed by his mother you know he’s out there to torment and Isaac serous and enough’s enough send him away cast him out cast his bomb woman out according to the message Messer put tammy in law all of Lippitt. Which specify the equal standing of Sergant and natural sons in a matter of inheritance to allow the entire heritance to fall to the natural son which is Isaac freedom for the slave and the Mater mother what about talk better not separate room freedom for the slave and the child must be given so Sarah really is appealing to the legal clause giving them their freedom because both can have the inheritance it was only to be through Abraham son born through Sarah Isaac Galatians four twenty eight through thirty one says Now we brother in as Isaac was our children of promise but as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit even so it is now Nevertheless what does the Scripture say cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman so then brother and we are not children of the bondwoman but we are of the free according to the spirit we are of the three we are not born of the bomb woman we are born of the Spirit of God We are set free freedom do you know what that freedom means Booker T. Washington describes meeting an ex slave from Virginia in his book up from slavery said I was I found that this man had made a contract with his master. Two or three years previous to the Emancipation Proclamation to the effect that the slave was to be permitted to buy himself so by himself back from his master by paying so much per year for his body and while he was paying for in self he was permitted to labor where and for whom he pleased find that he could skewer better wages in Ohio he went there when freedom came he was still in debt to his master some three hundred dollars notwithstanding that the Emancipation Proclamation freed him from any obligation to his master this black man walked the greater portion of the distance back to where his old master lived in Virginia and placed the last dollar with them tourist in his hand and talking to me about this the man told me that he knew that he did not have to pay his debt but that he had given his word to his Master and His Word He had never broken he felt that he could not enjoy his freedom till he had fulfilled his promise he fulfilled that promise even though he didn’t have to what did God promise Abraham in his covenant He promised him that he would give him many descendants God fulfilled that promise he promised him a land to give him the promised land he promised him that all the nations of the world would be blessed friends has he fulfilled that promise indeed he has because there was another son spoken of another son spoken of in Isaiah. A seven fourteen we. Have to find it. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign behold the Virgin cell conceive and bear a son and shall call his name the man you well God with us my friends God always does what he says he will do there was another mighty miracle greater than open in the womb of a ninety year old woman or eighty nine and she was twenty nine then much much greater than that he entered the womb of a virgin and brought forth a son to set us free that we can be free and we can be free indeed all we have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ receive that most precious gift ever given the gift of His Son If we ask Him to forgive us as I’ve said all through this he will do what he said he will do he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins his word tells us that he will forgive us if we believe if we but surrender our hearts to him ask him to take up residence in our hearts to be present in our lives each and every day help us to serve him to fill us with his spear that we will have strength that we will have courage that we will have all that we need to do. What he’s called us to do that’s maybe going another direction what he’s called us to do if we are faithful he will work through us to do what he calls to do he will never fail us he will never leave us never for sake of us he will always be with us Amen amen trust in him today.