Keep sharing good news without ads.
Bro. Otis Fisher
Come with me again this afternoon to Genesis the 17th chapter, please. This chapter May be the key to understanding the entire Bible. And when Abram was 90 years old and nine 99 years old The Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the Almighty God.
Walk before me and Be thou perfect. We have a new name given to us for the God of the heavens. I am the Almighty God El Shaddai, I am God all-sufficient. Shaddai comes from the Hebrew word Shaddaa. And it means to shed or to pour out.
So in his telling us he was the Almighty God. He's telling us that he is the one that pours out blessings. Who gives them richly? Who gives them abundantly and continually? El Shaddai. Now hold your finger at Genesis and go over to the fourth chapter of Romans, please.
We want a little bit of background on What's going to take place here? Romans the fourth chapter verse 19 is where I'll start. And you follow along and be not weak in faith. He considered not his own body now dead When he was about a hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. But was strong in faith giving glory to God. The word staggered means to vacillate from one thing to another. He didn't do that and being fully persuaded that's just as David said more fully.
He's as fully persuaded as possible. He believes it. He doesn't have to touch it to see it. Being fully persuaded that what he had promised meaning God he was able also to perform and Therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Now it's the faith that's imputed not to believe 23 now it was not written for his sake alone. That it was imputed to him but for us. Fred who is the us? You and I. Yes. But for us also. To whom it shall be imparity future.
Which it shall be imputed if we believe on him. That raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, but let's be sure we understand this word believe. Go quickly over to Philippians 129 for unto you. It is given in the behalf of Christ.
It is the gift to us bill and it's because of what Jesus the Christ did. In behalf of Christ not only to believe On him but also to suffer for his sake. So back in Romans 424 but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe.
We cannot believe unless been the belief has been given to us. Now we come to the rest of that verse that says Get back and be thou perfect in the first verse. Be thou perfect. Let's be sure we understand the word perfect.
It has two meanings first one is what you would suspect a Finished product it is perfect. The Other meaning to it is as any product is being shaped molded or grown. It must be at any moment in time Perfect for that time and its progress.
Example a Peach can be perfect when it is only ten days old if There are no blemishes. If it is at the stage of growth that it's supposed to be it's a perfect peach. On any day of inspection that must be just where it should be for that time in the life of the peach.
None of us will be perfect while we're in this body because it's a sinful body. But we can be perfect in our growth process right now. Would that we were all at the level that we're supposed to be Thereby being perfect right now.
There will be more added now back to Genesis 17 to and I will make my covenant between me and thee and Will multiply to thee exceedingly. Greg who is speaking in verse 2? God himself. And I will make my covenant.
Greg is this a voluntary covenant on the part of God? Yes. Man has nothing to do with it. He says I will make my covenant between me and you. And I will multiply thee exceedingly. Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying as for me.
I thought this was rather strange. David's the only place I have found this in the Bible where God says as for me behold My covenant is with thee and thou shalt be a father of many nations. God says for me.
That's what's going to be as far as I am concerned. That's what it is. As far as my law, that's what it is. The promise Is introduced here with high dignity as for me says the great God behold. Behold and admire it.
Behold and be assured of it my covenant is with thee and Thou shalt be a father of many nations. This implies one or more things first. That his seed after the flesh should be very numerous both in Isaac and in Ishmael and in the sons of Keturah and There have been and are more of the children of men descended from Abraham Than from any one man at equal distance from Noah.
Folks, that's a bunch to That all believers in every age Should be looked upon as his spiritual seed talking about Abraham as the father of the faithful. In this sense the Apostle directs us to understand this promise that it was made to Abraham and to us.
Did you see how Abraham was a father before he had any children? Because God said so Same as done and he had no children yet. Isn't God awesome? 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. I have made you Abraham To be the father of many nations. David why the changing of his name? What do you suppose? Was the reason that's right and it's to confirm to him to the realness of this covenant and Yes, verse 6.
And and notice the I wills and I will Make thee exceedingly fruitful. Not you Not the neighbor Not a maid. I will God speaking and I will make nations of thee and kings shall come out of thee and I will establish my covenant between me and thee and Thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant.
To be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. Ever lasting covenant. What's that mean great? You mean it's in effect today? Then Bill tell me how long is everlasting? How long is eternal? All right.
That explains it exactly. Verse 8. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger all of the land of Canaan For an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.
Several I wills in here. Deborah. What does it mean when it says I will do something? Could we say it's the same as done? With God For an everlasting possession the land of Canaan. Have they ever possessed all of it.
Very small part of it. David do you think they ever shall possess all of it? God said unto Abraham thou shalt keep my covenant. Therefore Thou and thy seed after thee in their generations. So as each successive generation comes on stage They keep the same covenant.
It's passed from one to another. Word of mouth. Did you realize that? We have an oral history going all the way back to Christ. And it doesn't have to go through very many people to get back there. This is my covenant, which you shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man child Among you shall be circumcised.
Was it the circumcision Greg that produced the covenant. You sure absolutely. It's your final answer used to be. I could shake Greg loose like that. But I can't anymore. Or did the covenant produce the circumcision great.
You're disagreeing with. No, he's right the covenant did not God did but it is a sign of the covenant which can only follow the covenant in today's world of religion. Is that the baptism that produces your salvation?
Not in this world. We're in a different time zone you must understand that and you must have some pre-recorded answers. Because I guarantee you will be answered. Ask and I want you to have a good scriptural answer.
Don't ever say. Otis Fisher says now that you have left the home of your parents. Each one of you do you or maybe You do not do certain things To remain a child of your parents, do you do anything to remain a child of your parents?
Do you then do not not do certain things to remain a child of your parents? Well, it's the it's the. It's exactly the same with our spiritual life with God. Can you do anything to cause him to not own you?
Why. We didn't belong to him. I mean we didn't belong to us. Did we? 11 and ye 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 generations.
He that is born in your house or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. So here it's expanded into the Gentile. It's expanded into The world of God's children wherever they are and whenever they will be.
But I have a question. Why the eight days be can you answer? No Debbie all right, but there were no Animals that could be offered for a sacrifice Until they were eight days old. That's a good research question.
Go back and look in their law. Well, I'll tell you in case you don't go look Previous to eight days. They were considered to be unclean. He that is born in thy house and he that is brought with thy money must needs be circumcised and 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 the uncircumcised Shall be cut off. The simple meaning seems to be that Such should have no right or share in the blessings of the covenant. Which we've already seen were both to the temporal and spiritual kingdoms.
And if so, then eternal death was implied. For was impossible for a person who had not received the spiritual purification. To enter into eternal glory, you cannot do that. It must have the spiritual Purification.
The spirit of this law extends to all ages all Dispensations and all people. He whose heart is not purified Cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Just as simple as that. Until you're regenerated born again made a new person.
Until God has placed you into Jesus Christ. You cannot expect to go to heaven. It everything passes through Jesus Christ in both directions always. 15 and God said unto Abraham as for Sarah thy wife thou shalt not call her name Sarah by Sarah.
Shall be her name. Shall her name be John. I'm so glad we finally got their names changed. So she too has something added. She too is to be the mother of what? Nations. And I will bless her and give thee a son also of her.
Now, this is the very first time That Abraham has received direct word as to where his son was to come from. Or from where it was to come and that was through Sarah an impossible situation. Yea, I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations kings of people shall be of her.
Then Abraham fell upon his face and he laughed and said in his heart Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old and Shall Sarah that is 90 years old bear a child. Why did Abraham laugh?
Roger I forget that you and your clan and some others over there. That wasn't the. That wasn't the purpose. Was it Harvey and Pat knows that I can't see him. I forget they're here. Roger why did Abraham laugh?
Well, let me ask you was it from unbelief. Bill was it from unbelief. I do too from joy. Abraham said unto God all that Ishmael might live before thee. David did he love his son Ishmael? Yes, sir. But God's thoughts are not man's thoughts.
Are they. They never have been and God said Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed. And thou shalt call his name Isaac. Greg why did they name him Isaac? What's Isaac mean. Laughter. And I will establish my covenant with him.
For an everlasting covenant. And with his seed after him. So when Abraham asked God about Ishmael God said no, and that was the end of it. Don't end. Let anybody tell you that God approves of polygamy just because it's in the Bible.
He doesn't and Every time it brings problems and as for Ishmael, I have heard thee God speaking. Behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget and I will make him a great nation.
Now David this looks like a similar blessing made to Ishmael. But it it isn't right. Absolutely. The one to Abraham for his offspring was spiritual. Who's talking to me. It's the spiritual covenant is not with Ishmael it is with Abraham but he gives a Blessing to come upon Ishmael, but just material.
Yes absolutely. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac. Which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time next year now. John what's he mean at this set time? Okay, so would you say that God knew what's going to happen.
Turn to Ecclesiastes 3. 1 Greg read that when you get over there God speaks of things that are not as though they are. There is a time for each and every thing in the world. Did you realize that there was a time ordained for us to meet here at?
148 Today. For this length of time it was ordained before there was ever a creation. There is a time set aside for every event. And that applies to every event all over the world. Tell me he doesn't run things.
He left off talking with him and God went up from Abraham. He said that's all folks. There's no need of you talking with me anymore, that's it. Says Abraham, you might as well just keep quiet because I've spoken and it's seamless done.
You know, we're the same way at times today some folks pester God in prayer. When they already have the answer. And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all that were born in his house and all that were bought with his money.
Every male among the men of Abraham's house and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the self same day as God had said unto him. 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 circus. I circumcised and Ishmael his son and all the men of his house. Born in the house bought with money of the stranger were circumcised with him.
David helped me out a little bit on. Why has it been mentioned over and over that not only Abraham and his offspring? But everybody that belongs Abraham. Those that built bought with his money born in his household.
That's true and to not have anyone associated with him that was not. That's right absolutely. Now does that apply to us today? Very very much. We are to be particular who joins the church now. God puts them in his church but we have to use wisdom and Keep the riffraff Seed of Satan out of here.
Yes, sir. That's. That's an extremely interesting story. We'll go over it sometime next week. We'll see Sarah the cook and Abraham waiting on tables. Something to look forward to. I have opened up. I've opened up an awful bag of worms.
That'll be a week from Sunday, no two weeks from today, I'm gonna disappear next week. You know, it'll be up to David and Greg and Bill to decide who's going to speak or up to the Lord. I'll put it like that.
Anything from anybody. Roger dismisses, please. Look at your word.