The Bridge Church of the Nazarene
Sunday, May 23, 2021
Aloha. The Bridge currently meets at Oahu Veterans Center in Foster Village (1298 Kukila St, Honolulu, HI 96818) at 9:45am. We look forward to seeing you in person! For those who can't make it at this time and location, we will broadcast church service online on Sunday morning at 9:45am at: BridgeNaz.org Please join us for worship, prayer, and a message from Pastor Michael! Mahalo and God bless!
Locations & Times
The Bridge
1298 Kukila Pl, Honolulu, HI 96818, USA
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sermon Title: When God Can't (Gen 18:1-33)
Gen 18:1-33
18:1 Adonai appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. 4 Please let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 I will get a piece of bread so you can refresh your hearts. After that you may pass, for therefore you will have passed by your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to prepare it. 8 He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them. He himself stood by them under the tree, and they ate. 9 They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 He said, “I will certainly return to you at this time next year; and sure enough, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in days. Sarah had ceased the menstruation of women. 12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I am worn out, will there be pleasure for me, my lord being old?” 13 Adonai said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child when I have grown old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for Adonai? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, you did laugh.”
16 The men rose up from there, and looked down over the face of Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them off. 17 Adonai said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the land will be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, so that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Adonai, to do righteousness and justice; so that Adonai may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken regarding him.” 20 Adonai said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21 I will go down now, and see whether the outcry that has come to me is exactly what they have done. If not, I will know.” 22 The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Adonai.
23 Abraham came near, and said, “In anger, will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. In anger, will you sweep away and not bear with the place for the fifty righteous who are within it? 25 May it be far from you to do something like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the judge of all the land do justice?”
26 Adonai said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will bear with the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered, “See now, I have resolved to speak to my lord, though I am dust and ashes. 28 Perhaps the fifty righteous may lack five. Will you, because of the five, destroy the whole city?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to him yet again, and said, “Perhaps forty will be found there.” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” 30 He said, “Oh don’t let my lord be angry, and I will speak: Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “See now, I have resolved to speak to my lord. Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” 32 He said, “Oh don’t let my lord be angry, and I will speak just once more: Perhaps ten will be found there.” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” 33 Adonai left when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
18:1 Adonai appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. 4 Please let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 I will get a piece of bread so you can refresh your hearts. After that you may pass, for therefore you will have passed by your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to prepare it. 8 He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them. He himself stood by them under the tree, and they ate. 9 They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 He said, “I will certainly return to you at this time next year; and sure enough, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in days. Sarah had ceased the menstruation of women. 12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I am worn out, will there be pleasure for me, my lord being old?” 13 Adonai said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child when I have grown old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for Adonai? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, you did laugh.”
16 The men rose up from there, and looked down over the face of Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them off. 17 Adonai said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the land will be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, so that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Adonai, to do righteousness and justice; so that Adonai may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken regarding him.” 20 Adonai said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21 I will go down now, and see whether the outcry that has come to me is exactly what they have done. If not, I will know.” 22 The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Adonai.
23 Abraham came near, and said, “In anger, will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. In anger, will you sweep away and not bear with the place for the fifty righteous who are within it? 25 May it be far from you to do something like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the judge of all the land do justice?”
26 Adonai said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will bear with the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered, “See now, I have resolved to speak to my lord, though I am dust and ashes. 28 Perhaps the fifty righteous may lack five. Will you, because of the five, destroy the whole city?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to him yet again, and said, “Perhaps forty will be found there.” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” 30 He said, “Oh don’t let my lord be angry, and I will speak: Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “See now, I have resolved to speak to my lord. Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” 32 He said, “Oh don’t let my lord be angry, and I will speak just once more: Perhaps ten will be found there.” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” 33 Adonai left when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Word of the Week
Zeitgeist: Spirit of the Age.
Zeitgeist: Spirit of the Age.
The Bottom Line
God
- Plan
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= Worry
God
- Plan
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= Worry