Sermon Summary: "Pressure Points"

Speaker: Nick

Scripture Reference: Genesis 26

Summary:

Nick's sermon, titled "Pressure Points," delves into the life of Isaac, the son of Abraham, as a lens through which to examine the power of God's blessing and covenant. He emphasizes that God's blessing is not contingent on human worthiness or righteousness, but rather on His unwavering faithfulness and determination to fulfill His promises.

The sermon begins by highlighting the parallels between Isaac and Abraham, particularly their experiences with famine and their dealings with the Philistines. Nick points out that both men faced similar challenges yet received God's blessing in extraordinary ways. He emphasizes that God's covenant with Abraham extends to Isaac and his descendants, demonstrating God's faithfulness across generations.

Nick then discusses the concept of "faith in the face of pressure." He notes that Isaac, like many of us, faced moments of doubt and fear, yet he ultimately chose to trust in God's promises. Nick encourages listeners to remember that God's blessings often come in unexpected ways, even in the midst of trials and hardships.

The sermon also addresses the importance of staying in God's will. Nick uses the example of Isaac's decision to remain in the land of Gerar, despite the famine, as a reminder that God's plans may not always align with our own. He emphasizes that it is crucial to listen to God's voice and follow His guidance, even when it feels counterintuitive.

Nick concludes the sermon by emphasizing the power of God's blessing. He highlights how Isaac's obedience to God led to abundant blessings, both material and spiritual. Nick encourages listeners to trust in God's goodness and to seek His blessing in their own lives, no matter what challenges they may face.

Bible References:

Genesis 26:1-11
Genesis 26:12
Genesis 26:24-25
Genesis 26:26-31
Genesis 26:35

Additional Notes:

The sermon is delivered in a conversational and engaging style, making it accessible to a wide audience.
Nick uses personal anecdotes and examples to illustrate his points, helping listeners connect with the message on a deeper level.
The sermon emphasizes the importance of faith, obedience, and trust in God's promises.
The sermon provides encouragement and hope for those facing challenges in their own lives.

Transcription

My man, thank you Roland. Thank you everybody. Morning again. Genesis 26 we're
on today. Genesis is a game of two halves you could say and we're entering
in the second half. We've got all the way through. I was excited when I saw Genesis
26 come up because about ten years ago I did a whole series on this chapter,
series about four or five sermons, so we only get one week per chapter here at
MCF. We're rapidly going through Genesis but I called that Strange Maths. That was
the nice catchy title I had for that series then and this one has got a title
Pressure Points but we'll just leave it there. We'll see if what I say
relates to the title or not. I want you to be honest when it comes to assessing
your spiritual life, when it comes to your feelings about what it is that
attracts the blessing of God to our lives, how many of us actually
disqualify ourselves, write ourselves off, think well the blessing of God is for
other people, people that are more worthy, better quality of faith, more righteous
perhaps, more faithful, more gifted. Welcome to the book of Genesis because
this is where all our assumptions go to die and we've read through the story of
Abraham and all that has gone on there. We see the relentless determination of
God to bless his people according to his nature and his covenant rather than
according to what we are like. And you see constant faith. I just love it every
time the Bible holds Abraham up as just an absolute hero of faith, never
wavered in his faith. That's just the blessing of God because you read it you
think actually it doesn't actually match up. He did waver in his faith. There were
all sorts of things that he did wrong. There are all sorts of things that he
did that might disqualify him in our eyes from the blessing of God and yet
God was relentless and ruthless in pursuing him with his blessing and
determined to bless him not only during his lifetime but beyond even up to today
the blessing of Abraham is being played out. So there is a covenant of God that
stands forever and the greatest accounts of the faithfulness and the blessing of
God can be set against the most desperate examples of weakness and
failure. Amen! That's good news isn't it? Wonderful examples of human frailty
magnify the incredible power and faithfulness of God. So we shouldn't be
afraid when we feel weak. I mean we know the Scriptures don't we? When you are
weak then he is strong. Blessed are the weak, blessed are the poor, blessed are
those who mourn, blessed are those for whom everything has gone wrong and who
have got nothing together at all. You are blessed because in you can be seen
the glory of God. If you've got it all together we're not going to worship God
we're going to worship you. And so it's wonderful to see. So we've got this we've
had this with Abraham all the episodes of Abraham's life up till today
up till this this moment and now we're going to another generation. Isaac the
child of promise and we see the same things played out again and again but
first in Genesis 26 from verse 1 it says a severe famine now struck the land
as had happened before in Abraham's time. So Isaac moved to Gerar where Abimelech
king of the Philistines lived. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said do not go
down to Egypt but do as I tell you. Live here as a foreigner in this land and I
will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands
to you and your descendants just as I solemnly promised Abraham your father. I
will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky. I
will give them all these lands and through your descendants all the nations
of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and
obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, instructions. So Isaac stayed in
Gerar. I just love the way the two paragraphs meet together and it goes on
in verse 7. When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife Rebekah he
said she's my sister. He was afraid to say she's my wife. He thought they'll
kill me to get her because she's so beautiful but sometime later Abimelech
king of the Philistines looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.
Immediately Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed she's obviously your wife
why did you say she's my sister? He said because it runs in the family. Because I
was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me Isaac replied. How could you
do this to us Abimelech exclaimed one of my people might easily have taken your
wife and slept with her and you would have made us guilty of great sin. Then
Abimelech issued a public proclamation anyone who touches this man or his wife
will be put to death. So it's like this is a chapter of two halves. I mean the
blessing of God the covenant blessing I will bless you I'll be with you Isaac
yep and then he just flipped straight into character and does exactly what
Abraham did with his wife and Isaac's mother pretending she was his sister.
Just amazing just the way God is just doesn't try and pull the wool over our
eyes does he just like it's all so laid out there he was trying to impress us
this wouldn't be the book to do it but he's doing it and we see the glory of
God manifest against the background of human weakness. So a severe famine has
struck the land just as it did in Abraham's time and Abraham in his own
time made the decision to go to Egypt it was a sensible decision it was a
reasonable decision it was a logical one let's go to Egypt because there we
won't suffer in the same way and we'll have what the crops that we need and the
people will be safe and everything will be good and so he went down to Egypt for
the sake of himself and all those that he was responsible for. So naturally just
as Isaac is quite good at taking note of what his dad did with his wife he also
took note of what he did during the famine and thought well actually since
we're suffering in this way we're going to go to Egypt. His instinct was the same
it's how we are wired aren't we follow the path we know follow the things that
have been played out before do what has been done before because that in that is
common sense it seems safe and wise and responsible. Isaac is living out his life
and making his decisions much as we would be inclined to that's how we
operate we have a frame of reference don't we but then into the middle of
this frame of reference steps the Lord God and says do not go down to Egypt but
do as I tell you live here as a foreigner in this land and I will be
with you and bless you I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you
and your descendants just as I solemnly promised Abraham your father and it
counts when God intervenes and God speaks those are the things that can cut
right across our common sense our understanding our history our precedents
that have been set we have to be those who are able to hear the voice of God
because sometimes he will say something contrary to what we expect and they
won't actually ask us to walk on the well-worn paths as Terry Vogue to use
Terry Vogo's phrase but to actually cut a new path according to what he's saying
to us and that's really difficult to do but it really counts because no matter
how many years we have in the bank no matter how much experience and wisdom
we've notched up for us as individuals and for us as a church we need to learn
to look at every new challenge in every circumstance with an ear turned to God
because it's the only way sometimes things will just play out normally and
sometimes there will be something that God wants to do that is actually not in
line with what we expect not in line with what we want not in line with what
makes us feel comfortable not in line with what is sensible but actually what
is according to his word and so the Lord appeared to Isaac and said do not go
down to Egypt but do as I tell you live here as a foreigner in this land
and I will be with you and bless you have you noticed that our usual
criteria for assessing what God is saying to us is what somebody has termed
really helpfully felt led poisoning we can be felt led into all sorts of things
but usually we're felt led towards what makes us comfortable we're felt led
towards what we want we're felt led towards the decision that actually makes
us feel best and that's the criteria I think bit well because because it makes
makes sense to me because this is what I want because this is actually what I
want to achieve in my life I believe God has spoken to me very rarely do you find
somebody saying actually everything that I want to do is taking me in this
direction but I've heard the Word of God and he's pulling me back in this
direction along the path of sacrifice along the path of suffering along the
path of difficulty or trouble or whatever it is those things don't
usually add up in our minds to God speaking to us should this life we were
just singing bring suffering Lord I will remember what Calvary has brought for me
but often when this life brings suffering we think oh what dear what's
gone wrong and so careful reading of Genesis reveals how our criteria are not
always reliable Isaac would have been wrestling with his emotions his own
understanding his fears and his insecurities he'd have been looking at
the people who are looking to him they want food and he's saying sorry guys the
Lord has told us to stay in the famine not a good way to become a popular
leader God was establishing Isaac the understanding that his promises stand
and even the most severe challenges of circumstances don't change what he wants
to do or what he's able to do and so he promised to Abraham that he was going to
do this and now he's saying to Isaac right now you're in a famine you
everything is against you your life is at threat and I want you to stay here
and trust me according to my promises not according to the circumstances that
is a real challenge that can be brought right up into the present-day sentence
he's talking about his promises that stand for generations Abraham was gone
but the promise still stands I saw a meme at the other day on the internet
that said ladies when your husband says he'll do something he'll do it you don't
have to keep reminding him every three months which is quite funny and true but
with God there's a strong vein of truth in that when God says he'll do something
you don't have to remind him every thousand years he's gonna kid he's gonna
do it he's gonna establish it even through generations he will do it Isaac
would have had a strong streak of self-preservation what are we gonna do to
get food on the table what are we gonna do to bring safety what are we gonna do
to look after our animals what are we gonna do what are we gonna do what are
we gonna do nose would have been the questions in his ears from people what
are we gonna do and God wanted him to put all his trust in him and his
promises rather than being driven by what he could see and feel and right up
there in the challenges we face whether as individuals or as a church that is
the challenge we have but interestingly though we've looked at the you know this
is what God said and this is what he did with Rebecca and all of that and we're
talking about human failings in it all there was a streak of faith because he's
in the right family there's a heritage of faith the Lord appeared to Isaac and
said don't go down to Egypt stay where you are and in verse 6 it simply says
this so Isaac stayed in Gerar whatever the pressure whatever the difficulty
whatever the challenge Isaac stayed and to us in our lives that can be the most
profound and difficult challenge in our lives and the question will you stay is
the one that we need to answer because we can face our own famines can't we we
can face our own challenges we can face our own pain we can face our own grief
we can face our own fear we can face our own lack and God says will you stay and
trust in my promises will you start running around to Egypt thinking if we
go there we'll be more comfortable if we go there that will solve our problems if
we do this this will this will put everything right or will we actually
hold on continue to speak the language of faith will we pray will we praise
even in the middle of it all we're not talking about being a hero of the faith
Isaac clearly wasn't getting it all right all the time it's not about always
having the right response but it is about the disciplined decision to stay
where we are to stay I often refer to it the time when the disciples all the
people left Jesus and they ran in different directions and Jesus said to
them are you gonna leave me as well and they said well where else can we go it's
not a ringing endorsement is it but he's like well but sometimes that is the life
of faith where else can we go people run off people backslide people run in
different directions people go after what it you know in inverted commas the
blessings of this world or whatever but for those who have received the
covenant promise of God the genuine question is where else can we go there
is nothing it might things might be going wrong the wheels might be falling
off there might not be any answers to our questions this pain might not go
away but where else can I go and I'll stay I will stay here I will stay
looking at you Lord I will stay listening to you Lord I will stay
believing in you Lord because there is nowhere else for me to go I will stay
and that's the challenge that we have in our lives like I said straight after
verse 6 we get another account of Isaac doing exactly what Abraham did in
pretending his wife was his sister didn't make him a superhero didn't take
away his fears or his insecurities or his or situations that put him under
pressure didn't stop him making mistakes but he was in the right place as a
result of the decision he'd made he's better off there making his mistakes and
he was if he'd gone to Egypt because if he'd gone to Egypt he'd have given up on
the promises of God because God was saying actually if you stay here I will
bless you do not go don't keep marking yourself out of ten to see if you think
God's going to approve of you because you're always going to fail that test
but do make sure that you're in the right place do make sure that you're
facing the right direction do make sure that you're holding on to the promises
of God because it's so important because that's what will mark us out as
the people of God and in verse 12 as we go on when Isaac planted his crops that
year according to the Word of God he harvested a hundred times more grain
than he planted for the Lord blessed him that's the strange maths so in the land
of famine so where nothing's gonna grow and you'll reap a hundred times what you
planted he sowed in a land of famine he did what he knew how to do and God
blessed him and sometimes that's all we've got to sow in a land of famine
stay where God puts us sow seeds on the hot dry barren land well it looks like
there's no sense nothing's working it just doesn't feel it just feels it just
feels horrible but I'm gonna trust you Lord I'm gonna sow in this famine and
the promise of the Word of God is that God is able to and God will bless us
even in the famine can be really comfortable with the idea of God
withholding can't we without we understand that you know if there's if
they've got withholds up from us if he tests us if he challenges us we think oh
yeah that that's that's what we expect par for the course with God but what we
read here is that God also blesses God blessed Isaac as a result of his
decision to stay and we do have twisted teaching that has become known as the
prosperity gospel and all of that you know where if you like God is a heavenly
cash machine if you if you do this this and this they will just pour out cash on
you and that's and that's the blessing of God I saw some videos online the
other day of a guy who's boasting about how many private jets he'd gotten how
many watches he'd gotten it was all the blessing of God and it's just all
uglier stuff but don't let all of that divert us from the fact that God is a
God who blesses God is a God who pours out his best on our lives someone once
said God will always bless you more than you would bless you because he's richer
than you and because he loves you more than you love you God loves you more
than you love you God is interested in God is committed to you more than you're
committed to your future God wants you established I remember having the
weirdest thoughts this is not a confession time this is just that just
there was just an unfortunate break as I said that sentence when we came back
from Zambia to England in order to go to Zambia we'd sold our house we had a house
in the south of England in the days when houses there it was a big boom in house
prices and we we invested all of our resources in going to Zambia and in and
in the life that we had there and so by the time we came back we needed a
miracle in order to come back and get we God made it possible for us to buy a
house in Mexico but we had very little left there was like that sense of well
what do we do now well we can we've got a roof over our head but you know will
we eat and all of that sort of thing and I remember thinking a weirdest thought
well we have spoons in our house will we have a fridge and all this sort of I
know I'm not doing it for sympathy because we do have we did have a fridge
and we had a lot of spoons but the point was there was a friend of mine Norman
Barnes he shook his head at me like so they said why would God give you less
he loves you you know there is there is a there is a heart of God to bless you
sometimes we really struggle with that because we look at our famine and we
look at our second we think well maybe blesses other people but not me but God
says if you will trust me even in your famine you will see the better your
blessing might look different to somebody else's blessing but God will
bless us and how all could we find it talking about the physical blessing of
God there's so many different situations even in this room this morning so many
different stories to tell so many different objections maybe to what I'm
saying oh yes it's all very well for you but what about what about this situation
but we have to lean on the promises of God to be faithful to us all of our
lives our circumstances can be our starting point and we get discouraged
but we need to look up and look out and remember where our help comes from truly
our help comes from the Lord Greg was sharing you know about the situation in
Emmaus there were people then in a very real human situation there were people
that were struggling with what was going on they did not understand and yet God
was able to give them the grace to open up their eyes and to see the situation
that they were in even in the middle of that all that that grief and those and
that uncertainty and that confusion they were able to see the blessing of God the
blessing of God on Isaac was so profound that it caused fear and
jealousy amongst the people around and he was ordered to leave the area as you
read on in the passage all of his wells were filled in by the Philistines they
didn't like it they didn't like the fact that he was blessed and he moved with
his people and in the process this is a very in a very short nutshell started to
open up the wells again but every step of the way there was a dispute people
arguing over the water and Isaac was someone who through tough experience had
learned that his future wasn't dependent on a well of water he was able to move
on time and time again until finally they opened up a well where there was no
dispute which he named Rehoboth saying at last the Lord has created enough
space for us to prosper in the land and as we walk on in life and practice the
journey of faith we should have it make it our ambition to shake off everything
that we think will give us comfort don't start looking in this life looking
around what's gonna what do I need what do I need to get what do I need to
achieve what do I need to own what do I need to if I just had this if these
circumstances were was different then my life would be different and we need to
that's like looking for the well of his disputes here and there and this water
is not good enough and that and somebody else claims it and all of that but he
Isaac eventually got to that point where he said now what finally the Lord has
given us room and we will prosper in this land and God wants to lead us to a
place of peace and tranquility and space and security and freedom away from the
grasping of this world that says actually if I just have this then my
life would be better and in fact what we need just as God said to Abraham himself
he said I am your shield and your very great reward God is our reward the Psalms
say he makes me lie down beside still waters leads me in green pastures and
that's what God wants for our lives not fighting for everything along the way
but God will lead us in those green and spacious and peaceful areas the blessing
of God brings favor King Abimelech who chased Isaac away when his wealth grew
now came to him and said we can clearly see the Lord is with you wanted a
covenant relationship with him there's a difference between chasing the blessing
of God in whatever form we think that takes in our lives that's why the wealth
preachers and all the people say if you just do this God's going to fill up your
bank with money and all of that it's it's a deceptive so it's a misleading
because that's not where we find our peace that's not where we find our joy
but living and abiding in the constant blessing of God and receiving that to
the extent that it is seen by other people they will look at and say well I
can clearly see that God is with you remember that being my experience when I
first encountered Christians there was something it the people were saying
stuff that I didn't really understand they were trying to explain they've given
me books to read and and you know understand this and talking about Jesus
and the cross and all of that I didn't understand all of that stuff but I did
see the blessing of God on people's lives I did see the favor of God did see
the peace of God did see the prosperity and the joy of God in people's lives it
was just so delightful to see and we can live and abide in that constant
blessing of God even when we face the famine there's an aroma an atmosphere
around the people of God remember we'll finish up in them just a second we were
in some of some people know the story of our time in Zambia we lived in Zambia
for six years from 2010 until somewhere else no no we came back in 2010 I've no
idea when we went yeah anyway we went in Zambia sometime in the in this century
and we were we went through with a great I mean I'm not trying to encourage
Roland here but we weren't with a great sense of anticipation and excitement and
wow we're gonna take the world by storm God's world changes and we went and it
didn't work out exactly as we as we'd hoped and there were real challenges
real real challenges that felt like a famine it was like all that we'd hoped
for and it was just like dry and barren and fearful and uncertain and what have
we done to our children and and all of that happened and we were really afraid
as head and uncertain and there was a time when people were thinking well
maybe maybe they could come back and there was a possibility of a job in a
church in in High Wycombe and it was really appealing it was like a nice well
that we could have looked at there was nice schools for the children there was
a reasonable salary there was a house to live in all the things that we didn't
have were there and there was a there was a possibility that we could have
been offered that as an opportunity and yet against all of that we had that
niggling feeling that actually this is not what God has called us to do and I
remember driving in the car one time and listen to the that song Eye of the Tiger
come on you're Rocky Eye of the Tiger and it came and it said something like I
don't even understand what it means but it made sense to me that I said said you
exchange your passion for glory and something about that just dropped into
my heart said don't exchange what God has put in you for something else don't
exchange don't just look for the well don't just look for the peace don't just
look for the good but look go for God and he will give you all that you're
searching for and I remember thinking at the time you know everything that we
tried to to build I remember even saying to myself probably said it to other
people great you know statement of faith oh it's dead there's nothing left
there's nothing going on and yet in that famine in that dead famine God blessed
us and here we are today we're talking about seeker we're talking about Lord's
Way we're talking about the growth of the ministry there and it's exciting to
see but one thing that happened was there was a time when we were really
under threat and a friend of mine who lived down the road the immigration
people so it's a long story though we haven't done anything wrong but there
was this like the whole thing came and they came to him and they said something
very intimidating like can you give me one good reason why we should not
deport that man meaning me and and he gave them some reasons which was nice of
him and and they listened and they said okay we'll give him 48 hours to get
everything in place and and make the application and we did we did everything
in 48 hours made the application they granted us a permit and we stayed and
God blessed us in that land of famine and there was a time when we were the
what was going on in the church and the things that you know were being because
we were you know being foreigners and everything else there was investigation
and people they're like saying nothing wrong that was done but it was just a
very intimidating situation and so there was a time when people got involved in
all of that and then by the time we came to leave having stayed and seen the
blessing of God by the time we came to leave we had some senior government
people from our local town actually came to see us off we left our place at six
o'clock in the morning and these people came to to say bye to us and one man
took me aside and he said we know what has happened we know what's been done
against you we know all of that and we know what you've done in this country
said and I just want you to know that this country is your country it's your
home but wow how have we come from it's all dead and buried it's all finished
there's nothing there's nothing left he might be deported all of that to the to
the very same people saying actually we want to thank you and we want to bless
you and that can only be the blessing of God manifested and demonstrated in our
lives anyway that was a long convoluted story but it's so that's the point
Isaac had no reliance on his physical circumstances but total reliance on God
and God showed himself strong in his life so it doesn't matter who you are
what challenges you face what background you have what your sin looks like you
can sow in a place of famine and see a return a hundred times bigger and the
blessing of God can attach itself to your life in such a way that you find
the space and the peace of God and others will see and will testify now
we've seen the work of God in your life and so as we consider that and as we
consider what God is saying to us as I prepared that something the one thing
jumped out and it was that question will you stay and I just think I just believe
that there are people here that are struggling with their own famine
struggling with pain struggling with disappointment struggling with fear
struggling with lack struggling with whatever it could be you know what it is
and you're thinking this is this gospel is not all it's cracked up to be because
I thought you know things were going to be easier than this and the question is
will you stay will you stay and will you trust will you believe will you turn
your heart to God will you actually say all right Lord though the fig tree
doesn't blossom though there be no cattle in the stalls though the olive
crop crop casts its fruit and the rest that I've forgotten yet I will rejoice
in you Lord yet I will trust in you yet I will pray yet I will pray will you will
you sow in the land of famine will you sow will you take a decision on the
basis of your your the things that have made you want to give up the things
that have made you want to grind to a halt the things that have drained you
of your energy in the middle of all of that will you actually say all right
Lord I'm gonna sow something here I'm gonna I'm gonna believe I'm gonna praise
you I'm gonna thank you for what I've got well what have I got try the things
to thank God for thank God for our very life the fact that we're up and we're
breathing this morning thank God for his blessing upon us thank God for our
history thank God for how far he's brought us thank God that up till today
he has sustained us thank God that he has our best interests at heart and
thank God that he loves you more than you love you and is determined to bless
you more than you would bless you so that faith and trusting God that in the
middle of your famine you will see his blessing upon your life you'll see his
breakthrough and that will look different to you than it does to me not
selling a package here that says you could you know this is this is what
you'll get this is what you get for your investment be between you and God but
the question is will you study and I just want there maybe if the worship
team could come and if you've got something first I just want us to to
close as we close to think about that and to make some decisions perhaps in
our hearts to yes I'm gonna stay yes Lord you've proved yourself faithful yes
I'm gonna trust you I have nothing I have no reference point but I'm gonna
believe you Lord it's painful to think about blessing because I don't feel
blessed but I'm gonna trust you and as we worship and as we pray on just want
just to turn our own thoughts today and it may be that you know that that word
is for you and that there is there is real benefit sometimes there's real
benefit in physical response in actually stepping forward and I you know we're
not gonna quiz you or whatever but if you want as part of your statement to
God to say Lord I'm gonna stay in this family I'm gonna sow my faith I'm gonna
sow my thanks I'm gonna sow my my my trust in you and I'm gonna believe you
for a for a blessing in my life and for a breakthrough if you want to make that
declaration to God then I just ask you just to step forward just to come
forward here and we can pray together there'll be space here just as a worship
team leaders but please do that just as we just as we start don't even hesitate
don't even waste any time just come forward and we believe God will meet
people here