The Bridge Church of the Nazarene
Sunday, June 6, 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: Aches, Pains, & Infinities (Gen 20:1-18)
Word of the Week
False Infinities: Things that appear as though they will satisfy our yearning for Infinity, but always fall short.
False Infinities: Things that appear as though they will satisfy our yearning for Infinity, but always fall short.
Gen 20:1-18
20:1 Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar. 2a Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.”
2b Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “See here, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife.”
4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 5 Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
6 God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore, I didn’t allow you to touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”
8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!” 10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?”
11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me over the matter of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 When God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is your loyalty that you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’
14 Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Here, my land is before you. Dwell wherever it is best in your eyes.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. See, it is for you a ‘covering of the eyes’ for all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”
17 Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children. 18 For Adonai had surely closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, over the matter of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
20:1 Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar. 2a Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.”
2b Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “See here, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife.”
4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 5 Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
6 God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore, I didn’t allow you to touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”
8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!” 10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?”
11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me over the matter of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 When God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is your loyalty that you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’
14 Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Here, my land is before you. Dwell wherever it is best in your eyes.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. See, it is for you a ‘covering of the eyes’ for all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”
17 Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children. 18 For Adonai had surely closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, over the matter of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Bottom Line:
Get out of God’s way, so you can walk in God’s ways.
Get out of God’s way, so you can walk in God’s ways.