Seeking God's Wisdom: Lessons from Abram and Sarai

Devotional

Day 1: Impatience Distorts Truth

Impatience often stems from idolatry, where our desires overshadow our trust in God's timing. This impatience can distort truth and lead to selfish decisions, as seen in Sarai's plan to have a child through Hagar. Sarai's impatience caused her to misinterpret God's promise, and Abram's passivity allowed this misinterpretation to take root. This story serves as a cautionary tale for us, reminding us that our impatience and passivity can lead to bad decisions that impact those we love most. [37:37]

Isaiah 30:18 (ESV): "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you are currently feeling impatient. How might your impatience be distorting your perception of God's promises? What steps can you take today to trust in His timing?

Day 2: Passivity Leads to Bad Decisions

Abram's passivity in not challenging Sarai's plan led to conflict and hurt. Spiritual leadership requires active engagement and adherence to God's word. Men, in particular, are called to lead their families spiritually, ensuring that their actions align with God's will. Abram's failure to lead and protect Sarai and Hagar resulted in conflict and hurt. This is a call for men to step up and take responsibility for the spiritual direction of their families. [43:46]

James 4:17 (ESV): "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Reflection: Reflect on an area in your life where you have been passive. How has this passivity affected those around you? What is one action you can take today to step up and lead according to God's word?

Day 3: Human Wisdom Leads to Anger and Pain

Decisions made from a place of human wisdom, rather than seeking God's counsel, often result in negative consequences. Abram's decision to follow Sarai's plan without seeking God's guidance led to more conflict and hurt. This story reminds us that every decision we make impacts those closest to us, and we must seek God's wisdom in all things to avoid such pitfalls. [56:53]

Proverbs 14:12 (ESV): "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

Reflection: Think of a recent decision you made based on your own understanding. How did it turn out? What can you do today to seek God's wisdom in your decision-making process?

Day 4: The Importance of Spiritual Leadership

Abram's failure to lead and protect Sarai and Hagar resulted in conflict and hurt. This story serves as a call for men to step up and take responsibility for the spiritual direction of their families. Spiritual leadership involves seeking God's will and ensuring that our actions align with His word. Men are called to lead their families spiritually, ensuring that their actions align with God's will. [45:21]

Ephesians 6:4 (ESV): "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Reflection: If you are a spiritual leader in your family, how are you actively guiding your family in God's ways? What is one specific way you can improve your spiritual leadership starting today?

Day 5: Every Decision Impacts Those Closest to Us

Our decisions, whether big or small, impact those we love most. We must seek God's wisdom in all things to ensure that our actions bring joy and fulfillment rather than anger and pain. This story reminds us of the importance of seeking God's counsel in every aspect of our lives. [01:00:47]

Galatians 6:7-8 (ESV): "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

Reflection: Consider a recent decision you made that affected your loved ones. How did it impact them? What can you do today to ensure your future decisions are guided by God's wisdom and love?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Good morning, church family. Today, we gathered to worship and pray, especially for our students and teachers as they embark on a new school year. We prayed for protection, strength, and opportunities for them to be a light in their schools. We also lifted up several members of our congregation who are facing health challenges.

Our main focus today was on Genesis 16, where we examined the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar. This passage highlights the consequences of impatience, passivity, and human wisdom when they are not aligned with God's will. Abram and Sarai's impatience led them to take matters into their own hands, resulting in discontentment and conflict. Sarai's plan to have a child through Hagar, her servant, was a cultural norm but not God's plan. Abram's passivity in this situation further exacerbated the problem, leading to more hurt and pain.

We discussed how impatience can distort truth and lead to selfish decisions. Sarai's impatience caused her to misinterpret God's promise, and Abram's passivity allowed this misinterpretation to take root. This story serves as a cautionary tale for us, reminding us that our impatience and passivity can lead to bad decisions that impact those we love most.

We also explored the importance of spiritual leadership within the family. Abram's failure to lead and protect Sarai and Hagar resulted in conflict and hurt. This is a call for men to step up and take responsibility for the spiritual direction of their families, ensuring that their actions align with God's word.

Finally, we emphasized that human wisdom, apart from God, always leads to anger and pain. Abram's decision to follow Sarai's plan instead of seeking God's counsel resulted in more conflict and hurt. This story reminds us that every decision we make impacts those closest to us, and we must seek God's wisdom in all things.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Impatience Leads to Discontentment: Impatience often stems from idolatry, where our desires overshadow our trust in God's timing. This impatience can distort truth and lead to selfish decisions, as seen in Sarai's plan to have a child through Hagar. We must guard against letting our impatience cause us to compromise what we know to be true. [37:37]
2. Passivity Leads to Bad Decisions: Abram's passivity in not challenging Sarai's plan led to conflict and hurt. Spiritual leadership requires active engagement and adherence to God's word. Men, in particular, are called to lead their families spiritually, ensuring that their actions align with God's will. [43:46]
3. Human Wisdom Leads to Anger and Pain: Decisions made from a place of human wisdom, rather than seeking God's counsel, often result in negative consequences. Abram's decision to follow Sarai's plan without seeking God's guidance led to more conflict and hurt. We must seek God's wisdom in all our decisions to avoid such pitfalls. [56:53]
4. The Importance of Spiritual Leadership: Abram's failure to lead and protect Sarai and Hagar resulted in conflict and hurt. This story serves as a call for men to step up and take responsibility for the spiritual direction of their families. Spiritual leadership involves seeking God's will and ensuring that our actions align with His word. [45:21]
5. Every Decision Impacts Those Closest to Us: Our decisions, whether big or small, impact those we love most. We must seek God's wisdom in all things to ensure that our actions bring joy and fulfillment rather than anger and pain. This story reminds us of the importance of seeking God's counsel in every aspect of our lives. [01:00:47]
### [60:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:39] - Church Verse Recitation
[14:58] - Prayer for Students and Teachers
[17:26] - Prayer for Congregation Members
[27:17] - Creation and Family in Genesis
[28:33] - Adam's Leadership and Sin
[29:47] - Abram's Passive Leadership
[31:12] - Sarai's Plan and Its Consequences
[32:22] - Impatience Leads to Discontentment
[33:49] - Cultural Pressures and Idolatry
[35:11] - Sarai's Misinterpretation of God's Promise
[37:37] - Impatience Distorts Truth
[40:01] - Discontentment with God's Provision
[43:46] - Passivity Leads to Bad Decisions
[46:14] - Call for Men to Lead Spiritually
[49:16] - Seeking God's Counsel
[56:53] - Human Wisdom Leads to Anger and Pain
[60:47] - Impact of Our Decisions
[62:04] - Living for God's Glory
[66:26] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
[71:29] - Announcements and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What cultural pressures did Abram and Sarai face regarding having children? ([33:49])
How did Sarai's impatience manifest in her plan involving Hagar? ([37:37])
What was Abram's response to Sarai's plan, and what does this reveal about his leadership? ([31:12])
How did Abram's passivity contribute to the conflict between Sarai and Hagar? ([50:53])

Interpretation Questions

How does impatience lead to discontentment, and what are the potential consequences of this discontentment? ([40:01])
In what ways can passivity in spiritual leadership lead to bad decisions within a family or community? ([45:21])
How does human wisdom, apart from God's guidance, result in anger and pain? ([56:53])
What does the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar teach us about the importance of seeking God's counsel in our decisions? ([48:42])

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when impatience led you to make a decision that you later regretted. How can you guard against impatience in the future? ([37:37])
Are there areas in your life where you have been passive in your spiritual leadership? How can you take more active steps to lead according to God's word? ([45:21])
Think of a recent decision you made based on your own wisdom rather than seeking God's guidance. What was the outcome, and how could it have been different if you had sought God's counsel? ([56:53])
How can you ensure that your actions and decisions align with God's will, especially when under cultural or societal pressures? ([33:49])
Identify one specific way you can step up in spiritual leadership within your family or community this week. What practical steps will you take to make this happen? ([45:21])
Consider the impact of your decisions on those closest to you. How can you seek God's wisdom to ensure your actions bring joy and fulfillment rather than anger and pain? ([01:00:47])
How can you cultivate a habit of seeking God's counsel in all aspects of your life, both big and small? ([48:42])

Sermon Clips

1. "I just want to challenge you again to be memorizing it, putting it on your heart. That's the purpose of a memory verse, right? We want to be able to take God's words and internalize it so that we can live it out. Amen?" [06:39] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Listen, impatience when it gets a hold of us, it actually causes us to distort truth. I mean, look at what Sarai says in verse 2. Behold now, this is, she's talking to her husband, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go into my servant, it may be that I shall obtain children by her." [37:37] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Don't let your impatience cause you to become discontent with where God has you. Because listen, that discontentment, it's going to cause you to begin compromising what you know to be true. You may know the Bible, but you're going to find yourself in compromising positions where you're giving in to those you love most." [43:00] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "One of the greatest problems in our marriages today is passive males. One of the greatest problems in our churches today is passive males. And listen, by passive, I mean men not assuming responsibility for the spiritual direction of the marriage in the church, in the family." [45:21] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "If you're not leading your family spiritually, if your wife is the one doing it, if she's the reason your family is here every single Sunday, if she's the one that's discipling your children, if she's looking elsewhere for discipleship of herself, not only are you lazy, not only are you failing, but guys, I want you to hear me. You have completely and entirely neglected, the responsibility that God has given you, and you've been unfaithful to the vows that you made your wife." [45:21] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "Passivity isn't just something that men struggle with. You can stop, man. I'm done talking to you. I bring that up mostly this morning because that's just the context of our passage, right? It's talking about Abram's passivity. But understand, just because you have the right motives, just because you want to do the right thing, it doesn't always make it right if you don't use the right methods." [54:08] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Every decision you make, it impacts those closest to you. Your friends, your family, and every decision you make apart from God, it will hurt them in some way, whether you realize it or not, either in the short term or the long term. And you might be thinking, God isn't that invested in every detail of my life. He doesn't care about all the small things. Go read Psalm 139 again." [01:00:14] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "As believers, our sole aim, it should be to bring glory to Christ in everything that we do, right? Why? Because the Bible says he's purchased us, he's redeemed us because he's worthy of all praise and glory. And not just on Sunday mornings, you have life today because of him. Live like it." [01:02:04] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Church, this isn't just about family. Use your gifts. Use your time. Use your energy, your resources, everything that you have to edify your brothers and sisters here that God's given you. This is your family too. Demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit. As you push each other closer into the presence of Christ. Guys, we do all of that by submitting to God's word. Reading it, learning it, applying it. It's that simple." [01:02:49] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Remember, Jesus didn't just save us. He gave us a piece of himself as believers through the spirit. He gave us the means to live righteously. He sealed us. We have the means to live out the truth of his word. Seek him, live for him." [01:04:33] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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