14 Mar2010
Year of testing
Pastor Dennis Tan
Our faith will be tested and this is the year of testing
“Abraham wanted to upgrade his old .386 PC to Windows XP. His son Isaac, was
horrified, and exclaimed: "Pop, you can't run Windows XP on your ancient
386. Everyone knows you need a Pentium III processor and 128 megabytes (MB)
of RAM for that! What are you thinking???
But Abraham, a man of faith, gazed calmly at Isaac and said, "Do not worry,
my son, God will provide the RAM."
James 1:24
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it
says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like
a man who looks at his face in a mirror
1st Peter 1:6-7
. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
Gen 37:4-5
4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them,
they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him
all the more
Heb 11:1-7
Hebrews 11
By Faith
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so
that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel
offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a
righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still
speaks, even though he is dead.
5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience
death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he
was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is
impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that
he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built
an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became
heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Heb 11:17-18
17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He
who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,
18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your
offspring[b] will be reckoned."
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21 Mar 2010
No Perfect
households
LOT-ADULTEROUS DAUGHTERS
ISSAC-PROFANITY
ELI- WAYWARD SONS
JACOB-TREACHEROUS SONS
ACAN- COVETOUS FATHER
DAVID – REBELLIOUS ABSALOM
JOB- IMMATURE WIFE
ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA- LYING COUPLE
JESUS- UNBELEIVING RELATIVES/ TRAITORIOUS JUDAS
ABRAHAM – PERSECUTING ISHMAEL
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LOT-ADULTEROUS DAUGHTERS
Gen 19:31-38
31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and
there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the
earth. 32 Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and
preserve our family line through our father."
33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter
went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when
she got up.
34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay
with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and
lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." 35 So
they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger
daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay
down or when she got up.
36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older
daughter had a son, and she named him Moab [g] ; he is the father of the
Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him
Ben-Ammi [h] ; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.
Even in today’s world, we see so much incest happening and breaking
families. Read this
:
Woman charged with incest
ISSAC-PROFANITY
Heb 12-16-17
16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a
single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as
you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could
bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
ELI- WAYWARD SONS
1st
Samuel 2:12,22, 24
Eli's Wicked Sons
12
Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD.
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to
all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to
the Tent of Meeting. 23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I
hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons;
it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the LORD's people. 25 If
a man sins against another man, God [e] may mediate for him; but if a man
sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did
not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the LORD's will to put them
to death.
JACOB-TREACHEROUS SONS
Gen
37:11-33
Joseph Sold
by His Brothers
11
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12
Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem,
13
and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the
flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them."
"Very well," he replied.
14
So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with
the flocks, and bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley
of Hebron.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem,
15
a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you
looking for?"
16
He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are
grazing their flocks?"
17
"They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's
go to Dothan.' "
So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.
18
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted
to kill him.
19
"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other.
20
"Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say
that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his
dreams."
21
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not
take his life," he said.
22
"Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but
don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take
him back to his father.
23
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the
richly ornamented robe he was wearing-
24
and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty;
there was no water in it.
25
As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of
Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm
and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
26
Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and
cover up his blood?
27
Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after
all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.
28
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out
of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels
[b]
of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29
When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he
tore his clothes.
30
He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I
turn now?"
31
Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the
blood.
32
They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, "We found this.
Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe."
33
He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has
devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces."
ACAN- COVETOUS FATHER
Joshua 7:20-26
20 Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of
Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful
robe from Babylonia, [f] two hundred shekels [g] of silver and a wedge of
gold weighing fifty shekels, [h] I coveted them and took them. They are
hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was,
hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from
the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out
before the LORD.
24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the
silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle,
donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. 25
Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring
trouble on you today."
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they
burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which
remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore
that place has been called the Valley of Achor [i] ever since.
DAVID – REBELLIOUS ABSALOM
2 Samuel 15:10-17
10 Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to
say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is
king in Hebron.' " 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied
Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing
nothing about the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also
sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from Giloh, his
hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following
kept on increasing.
13 A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the men of Israel are
with Absalom."
14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem,
"Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave
immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin upon us
and put the city to the sword."
15 The king's officials answered him, "Your servants are ready to do
whatever our lord the king chooses."
16 The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left
ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, with all
the people following him, and they halted at a place some distance away.
JOB- IMMATURE WIFE
JOB 2:9-10
9
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God
and die!"
10
He replied, "You are talking like a foolish
[b]
woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA- LYING COUPLE
Acts 5:3-10
3Then
Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you
have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money
you received for the land?
4Didn't
it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money
at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not
lied to men but to God."
5When
Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who
heard what had happened.
6Then
the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and
buried him.
7About
three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8Peter
asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?"
"Yes," she said, "that is the price."
9Peter
said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The
feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry
you out also."
10At
that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in
and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11Great
fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
JESUS- UNBELEIVING RELATIVES/ TRAITORIOUS JUDAS
John 7:5
5For
even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Matt 27:3-5
3When
Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized
with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and
the elders.
4"I
have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
5So
Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged
himself.
ABRAHAM – PERSECUTING ISHMAEL
Gal: 4-19-22
19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until
Christ is formed in you, 20how I wish I could be with you now and change my
tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Hagar and Sarah
21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the
law says? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave
woman and the other by the free woman. 23His son by the slave woman was born
in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of
a promise.
24These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two
covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be
slaves: This is Hagar. 25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and
corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with
her children. 26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our
mother. 27For it is written:
"Be glad, O barren woman,
who bears no children;
break forth and cry aloud,
you who have no labor pains;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband."[b]
28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29At that time
the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the
Spirit. It is the same now.
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28 Mar 2010
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