Salt + Light Fort Worth

Thanks for listening to the Sunday
Teaching podcast from Salt and Light,

a community based in Fort Worth, Texas,
making disciples of Jesus together by

seeking his kingdom in everyday life.

Find out more at salt and light fw.com.

When I was a kid, I was not
the most obedient of children.

I had a strong will.

Uh, I often wanted to do things my way,
and if you're curious if this has come

back to haunt me, yes, the answer is yes.

As a result of this, I always felt
like I was in trouble, always grounded.

And one day I declared to my parents,
when I have children, I'm gonna give them

four chances before they get in trouble.

My parents said, great idea.

That's such a great idea.

Why don't you go ahead
and write that down.

So I did, and little Nicole
signed that piece of paper.

And then, you know, fast forward many
years later, after having three of my

own kids, one day my dad shows up with
a piece of paper for me to review, and

he hands it to me and he laughs and he
says, I thought your kids might need this.

Have you guys ever signed a
contract that you regretted?

Maybe you've signed something that
you hadn't really thought through,

you hadn't really thought through
the ramifications or the impact or

the weight of what it really meant.

Or maybe you signed a contract
that you actually broke.

I have for sure broken the contract that
I made to myself when I was a little girl.

In Genesis, we are introduced to
this concept of a contract, but at a

much deeper and more serious level.

Scripture actually uses the word covenant
and this idea of a covenant, it is so

fundamental to the Christian faith that
the word testament is actually just

another word for the word covenant.

Meaning we have the Old Testament
or the Old Covenant, and we have the

New Testament and the new Covenant.

It's this thread that runs
throughout the entire Bible.

Covenant language is serious language
with serious consequences for the

person who breaks this covenant.

God first uses this word with Noah,
and then again in the story of

Abraham, which we're picking up today.

So today we're in Genesis 15, and
in this passage we encounter a

covenant unlike any other where God
unconditionally binds himself to Abra.

And this is such an important passage
in scripture because this is a covenant

that God made with Abraham, but it
is also for our own benefit today.

So, you know, it's been a while though
since we've been in the book of Genesis.

We've spent some time over the last six
weeks or so looking at the resurrection

of Jesus, and we're gonna jump back into
Genesis for the next couple of months.

But before we do, before we look at the
passage today, I wanna remind us of how

Genesis begins and where we left off.

So we know that the Book of Genesis
begins with the creator, God who

created this world and everything in it.

He created humans in his
image and he blessed them.

And so that's the be very
beginning of Genesis.

And then we know very quickly
the bad stuff begins to happen.

The humans are deceived.

They choose their way over God's way.

And there's this fracture that happens
in the relationships, in a relationship

between the humans and God and the humans
in each other, and humans in creation.

And it all breaks down and it
permeates all the stories that follow.

So Genesis one through 11, this first
part of the book, it's the story of

the downward spiral of humanity, uh,
as a whole because of this rebellion

and sin that happened in the garden.

So that's the first chunk
of Genesis one through 11.

And so then Genesis 12, we looked at this,
uh, back in March, Genesis 12, there's

a shift that happens and there's a new
mission and a new plan that is unfolded,

and it starts with this man named
Abram, which later he becomes Abraham.

So we're talking about the
same person here, but right

now his name is still Abram.

God gives a promise in Genesis 12,
this is the first time we hear this

promise, and he says, go from your
land, your relatives, and your father's

house to the land that I will show you.

I will make you into a great nation.

I will bless you.

I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you.

I will curse anyone who treats you
with contempt and all the peoples on

Earth will be blessed through you.

So this is the promise
that, uh, God gives Abram.

And if you can catch it, it's really,
it's straightforward right there.

The main point of this promise is what?

To bless God wants to bless.

That is the main point, which
is so beautiful because think

about this what I just said.

The first half or the first part
of Genesis one through 11 is about

the downward spiral of humanity.

And so Genesis 12 shows up.

God shows up and instead of saying, I
wanna curse it, he says, I want bless it.

Like that's his response is blessing.

So he blesses Abram and says, I'm
gonna make you into a great nation.

And somehow through this family of Abra,
through there will be a great nation.

And God promises to bring
less seed to all nations.

It's so beautiful.

It sounds so beautiful, right?

But there's a snag in this plan.

Abraham and his wife Sarah,
they don't have kids.

And not only do they not have kids,
the problem is that they're old.

And, uh, they don't have any kids because
they've never been able to have any kids.

So there's no sign of future
generations coming from this couple.

So they hear this promise but
doesn't really make sense, right?

It makes it hard to imagine that
there's gonna be this great nation

of people coming from this couple
that does not have any children.

But Abraham, Abraham obeys and he chooses.

He says, yes, I obey.

He steps out in faith and he
leaves the land that God calls

him out of his familiar land.

With his wife and his nephew father, and
they go to Canaan and he builds an altar

to God, and then they travel further
and he builds another altar to God.

And what scripture is doing right now
in this passage is showing us that a

Abraham has a faithful and obedient heart.

He listens to God, he leaves what's
familiar, and he's building these altars.

He's responding in worship.

So we're, we're, we're supposed to
see in chapter 12 that Abrams is

faithful, obedient man sometimes.

Sometimes he's a faithful, obedient
man, because after that season of

traveling and building these altars,
Abram then winds up in Egypt because

there's this famine where they were at.

And in an attempt to preserve his life,
we looked at this, uh, last month,

he lies about Sarah being his wife
and says that he's actually a sister,

which causes all sorts of problems.

That's never a good idea, right?

Um, so once Pharaoh finds out,
so then Pharaoh sends them away.

Um, but they leave, they leave Egypt
with servants and cattle and livestock,

and we, we will eventually see that
this actually comes back to bite him.

This becomes a, this ends up
having a bigger, bigger impact.

And we'll catch that,
uh, I think next week.

Um, so that's what happens in chapter 12.

That's the beginning of Abram's
story, his origin story.

Okay.

So then in chapter 13, are you with me?

I know we're doing a flyover,
I'm trying to get us to where we

need to be, but in Genesis 13.

Abram is back in Canaan and he's
with his nephew lot, and they realize

that the land where they're at cannot
support both of them lot and Abram and

all of their flocks and their people.

So in an effort to maintain the
peace, Abram says, lot, you pick

a direction, all go the other way.

Uh, and they decide to separate.

He lets lot choose the better
land, and then they separate.

And so if you look at this and
you think if Abram is walking

by sight and not by faith, he is
lost, just got the better deal.

Um, but once again, this is
where we see once again, Abram,

he is stepping out in faith.

Mm-hmm.

He's, he is back to showing that he
has faith in God's promise to him.

And so after they make the separation,
God reiterates that promise to him.

After they've separated, God says to
Abraham again for the second time now.

He says, look, from the place where
you are, look north and south,

east and west, where I will give
you and your offspring forever.

All the land that you see.

I will make your offspring
like the dust of the earth.

Then your offspring can be counted.

Now, this is the second time
that Abrams reminded of this

promise, but still no offspring.

So still an unimaginable
promise, right at this point.

So then we are moving
into Genesis chapter 14.

Um, and so what that happens now is
there's this problem, the problem

with lot choosing the better land, uh,
is that it's also a desirable land.

It's more desirable to other kings.

So now there's this battle that happens,
uh, that goes down among the kings from

nearby cities, and lot is taken prisoner.

So it wasn't exactly the best
choice for him after all.

So he's taken prisoner.

Abraham gets word of this.

Goes and rescues lot and
defeats the kings in battle.

And when I say rescues lot,
I don't mean it's like this,

like sweet, like come on lot.

I mean there's, there's a
battle, there's war, there's

violence that is happening here.

But he does this to rescue lot.

And then, so one of the kings, the
king of Sodom, he offers Abram a great

reward, but a Abraham refuses 'cause
he makes it clear once again that he's

put his faith in God to provide that.

He does not want the King
of Sodom to take any credit.

For any sort of future blessings
that Abram might receive.

Abram's holding onto this promise,
so he's not gonna receive the

stuff from the other king.

He's waiting on God.

But again, we're still left
wondering about this promise.

We've heard it twice already in
scripture after great victory, three.

Abraham still doesn't have
a child or some great land.

And from the first promise given up
to this point of the story, this is

interesting that we don't, we don't
really see this always in scripture.

Um, we can kind of fly over these little
details from the fir from the time that

Abraham first received this promise
to now after rescuing laude and after

these battles that have happened for
at least 14 years have gone by since

he first heard that promise from God.

Okay?

That's not nothing when
you're waiting on a promise.

That feels like you hear the promise
and you think, okay, and then maybe

you're waiting for a year, two
years, maybe you're getting tired

for three years, but for 14 years
to still be waiting on this promise.

That's not nothing.

Abram's faith is real, but at this
point, zar his questions and his doubts.

Okay.

So now that I've kind of caught us
up on where Abram's origin story,

what that looks like, I want us to
zoom in now in chapter 15, what we

heard this morning where God once
again brings up this promise, but

now what he's gonna do is he's gonna
double down on his word and he's gonna

establish this covenant with Abra.

So looking at Genesis 15, okay,
there's two parts to this chapter.

There's Abram's doubt.

There's this conversation
that they have together.

So we see Abram's doubt, and then we
see God's assurance of his promise.

So first, let's look at Abram's Doubt.

Verse one starts with these words.

After these events, the word of
the Lord came to Abram in a vision.

Do not be afraid.

Abram, I am.

Your shield.

Your reward will be very great.

After these events.

Remember?

That's why I just told what, what all the
events were after those events, meaning

after that battle, after those battles,
after fighting those kings and those

armies, after that happens, the word
of the Lord comes to Abram in a vision.

At a pivotal point in Abram's
story, God comes to him.

God meets Abram's needs.

And not with a timeline or a
plan or details or this is what's

gonna happen, but he meets him
with a command and an assurance.

And a promise.

The command, do not be afraid, Abram,
and the assurance, I am your shield and

the promise, your reward will be great.

What he's doing, once again is he's
inviting a Abraham to trust him.

Trust me.

I know it's been a long time to trust me,

but what do we do when we're afraid?

When we are uncertain of who we can trust?

What do we do?

What do we do when we're afraid?

When we're sitting in this area?

I'm sorry.

Closer.

Your Got it.

Yeah.

I'm sorry, Stephan.

Okay.

It's the best I can do, guys.

That's great.

Great.

Yeah, thanks.

We can hear you.

Ah, long hair man.

Okay.

Um, we'll edit that from the podcast too.

Okay.

So anyway, when we are afraid,
when we are sitting in these

spaces of wondering and waiting.

What happens, our trust it waivers, right?

And so Abraham responds in this
moment and he says, well, what can

you give me since I am childless?

How can I be sure about you?

My reality right now, my present
reality does not match the promise.

You made me this promise, but
you've given me no children,

so I have doubts about you.

Can I trust you?

So the word of the Lord comes again and
God promises a son and shows Abraham the

Stars and he says, look at the stars.

This is the number of your offspring.

But what's interesting is that Abraham
follows with another question, how can

I know that I will gain possession?

So his first question
is about doubting God,

you have given me no children.

His second question is
about doubting himself.

How can I know that I
will gain possession?

And I find this interaction in scripture
so comforting because it's so relatable.

God, how are you gonna do this?

God, how am I gonna do this?

And we've all asked these
questions, and we want you to feel

safe to ask these questions in
this community here at Salt and.

Because part of being a human
is wrestling with our faith.

What do I believe about God?

What do I believe about myself?

Who do I trust?

And God doesn't condemn those questions.

God is patient with our doubt, but he
also doesn't want us to stay in our doubt.

It's faith, not performance.

That's what God asks from us to trust him.

And depend upon him, not ourselves.

God's promise requires our
trust, not our performance.

And that's what he is trying
to get Abram to see here.

And this chapter shifts from Abram's
doubts this conversation about doubt

to God's assurance through this
covenant that he's about to make.

But before we move on to the second
half of this chapter, I want to

point out one more thing for us here
that we can kind of also glaze over.

Dad's talking to Abram.

God revealed himself to
Abram through a vision.

And I want you to hear this.

God doesn't speak to Abram
because he's special.

He's speaking to Abram because
God speaks to his people.

It can be so tempting to read this
story, uh, and chop it up to weird

Old Testament interactions, but the
reality is that God is a God who speaks.

And we believe that he still speaks today.

So what does that mean for you?

It means that God desires
to speak to you too.

And I want you to believe that.

Believe that this is not just
an interaction that God has with

people from scripture, but that
this is an interaction that God

invites each one of us to as well.

And when we believe that we can
also experience God's assurance.

The second half of this chapter,
uh, chapter, uh, verses nine through

21, the rest of it goes into detail
about this covenant that God makes

with Abram, and this is when God
moves forward with this promise and

he seals it as a formal covenant.

And what happens next in
this passage is one of those

incredible things in scripture.

But once again, this is easy to miss.

If we just read on through, and
I say this often, but it bears

repeating that for scripture to be
timeless to us today, we have to

understand how it was timely back in.

So I wanna take a moment and
unpack a little bit of what

is happening in this passage.

So looking at verses nine and 10, God
tells a Abraham, bring me a 3-year-old

cow, a 3-year-old female goat.

A 3-year-old ram, a turtle
up, and a young pigeon.

So he brought all these things to him.

Abra brought these things, cut
them in half, and laid the pieces

opposite each other, but he
did not cut the birds in half.

Half.

Okay, that's, this sounds weird, right?

We're in agreement.

This is a weird Old Testament
thing that you read through and

like, okay, I don't understand.

Um, so here's what's happening.

Okay?

This makes sense to Abraham.

'cause in ancient times, people
usually con confirm business track

transactions with ceremonies.

So you have to think paper
and pen did not exist.

There wasn't like, write
this down and sign it.

And you know, there's
none of that happening.

So what would happen is that you would
have the two parties who were entering

into a covenant, they would bring animals
to slaughter, uh, a shedding of blood,

if you will, and they cut them in half.

And they would lay these
cut animals opposite of each

other, so as to make a path.

Okay.

And then they would walk this path
together and they would repeat the terms

of the covenant, uh, of this contract.

So the shed, blood of the
animals, they represented, their

commitment to this contract and
the consequences if they broke it.

So basically they're saying here.

They're acting out.

I'm putting my life on the line here.

Okay, so that's what,
that's what the custom was.

So that, does that make a little more
sense now when you read that in scripture?

Okay.

So not as weird to Abram
as it sounds to us.

So by faith, Abram o Abram, obeys.

He gets the animals, he cuts 'em in half.

He makes this path.

What kind of covenant does he think he's
getting ready to enter into with God?

He's going by faith again.

He knows what God has promised.

So what is going to be expected of him?

And that's just it.

This is what's so incredible.

He's not the one entering into
this covenant, not in a fair and

responsible way, because what
happens next after he puts this

together is God puts him into a deep.

Sleep and then God alone passes through.

God is the one who walks
between the pieces.

Abram isn't asked to do anything
but rather God swore by himself

to fulfill this covenant promise,
meaning God is saying, if this

covenant fails, let it be on me.

If I don't do everything I've told you to
do, if I don't uphold this promise, then

let me be the one who is torn to pieces.

May I die, may I be the
one who is cut in half?

God is going between these
animal pieces and he's saying,

a Abraham, if I don't bless you.

If I don't uphold the promises that I
have made, I will be the one cut off.

This is his covenant.

And on that day, God makes us
unconditional covenant with Abram.

That is not dependent upon
human contribution at all.

Abram only brings faith and God
takes all the responsibility.

And when Abraham.

Later, once again, drifts in
his faithfulness, which he will.

God is still faithful.

Abram's faithfulness has nothing to do
with this blessing because God's promises

are not based on Abram's perfection,
but on God's unwavering faithfulness.

So what we see in this passage.

Is a covenant of grace.

We can never hear too much about grace.

This is a covenant of grace.

God is saying, not only will I pay the
penalty if I'm not faithful, but I'll

pay the penalty if you are not faithful.

If you fail or if I fail.

I will cover this.

I will bless you even
if and when you fail.

It's this unconditional covenant of grace
and it's ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.

God himself bears the cost of our failure

read.

We're gonna look at Hebrews six to see
this fulfilled starting verse 13, for

when God made a promise to Abraham,
since he had no one greater to.

Whereby he swore by himself, I will indeed
bless you and I will greatly multiply you.

And so after waiting patiently, Abraham
obtained the promise for people swear

by something greater than themselves.

And for them, a confirming
oath ends every dispute.

Because God wanted to show his
unchangeable purpose even more

clearly to the heirs of the promise,
he guaranteed it with an oath.

So that through two unchangeable
things in which it is impossible

for God to lie, we who have fled for
refuge might have strong encouragement

to seize the hope set before us.

We have this hope as an anchor
for the soul firm and secure it

enters the inner century behind
the curtain, this anchor of hope.

It is not based on your
performance or your merit, it's

based on what Jesus has done.

And we can't hear this enough.

The most secure anchor of
hope is not found in you.

But in Jesus alone, if he is your
anchor of hope, your great reward,

then nothing will ever move you.

And if that doesn't sound
reassuring to you, if that is not

assurance, then do what Abram did.

Go to God, ask what you need.

Ask for his assurance, his confidence.

Ask the questions.

So think about, I'm thinking about
us right now, like Abraham, what

battle are you coming out of?

What has made you weary and tired?

What are you showing up today carrying

or like Abram, what are you looking
ahead at and thinking, how, Lord,

how are you gonna make this right?

How will you rescue me?

What hard thing are you
enduring right now, or are you

preparing to endure right now?

Abram was right in the middle of those.

Two seasons.

He had just come out of a difficult
season and he was looking ahead and

trying to understand how to move forward,
and it's in that time of uncertainty

and potential that God speaks to him.

And maybe you relate to that too.

I don't know where you've been.

I don't know what your.

Going through what you're
walking in here with.

But what I do know is that many of us
are carrying hard things right now.

I am.

There's a lot of ache in this room.

There's doubt and there's
uncertainty, what you believe.

And so these words are for you too.

God says, do not be afraid.

I am your shield.

I am the one who protects you.

When doubts, when life and hard
things come, I am your shield

and your reward will be great.

Church.

Your reward is the same covenant of grace.

Your reward is that you're
not walking this life alone.

Your reward is that God has gone
before you and he walks beside

you, and he comes from behind you.

He is your shield.

Your reward is the everlasting
covenant, keeping covenant

fulfilling grace of Jesus.

There is no performance.

You must do or accomplish.

There is no love that you must earn.

There is no good behavior.

You must have.

It is simply a matter of do you trust him?

Will you put your faith
in our faithful God?

Because there is so much joy and relief.

And peace when we grasp this truth
that, that God who sees it all,

who knows our inner being more than
anybody else could possibly, who knows

our strengths and our struggles, who
knows where we've been and what we've.

Done.

Who knows it all?

He loves you perfectly.

Our standing with God is not based
on us at all, but on his covenantal

promise, and so through this
act of communion that we get to.

Take together as a family every week.

We remember that promise.

We remember the promise that God made
to Abram, that he fulfilled in Jesus and

that he extends to each one of us too.

And just like God made a one-sided
covenant with Abram, one that just

required Abram's faith and not his
works, God has made a one-sided covenant.

With you and me too, through Jesus.

And Jesus seals that
covenant with his own blood.

Matthew 26, Jesus' words.

He says He uh, he took a cup and when
he had given things, he gave it to them.

His disciples saying, drink from it.

All of you.

This is my blood of the covenant.

Which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins.

This is my blood of covenant.

So when we take communion each week,
we remember that promise that he has

dealt with your sin, that separates you
from the father, and that he invites.

Us to faith and relationship with him.

So now I wanna invite each of us to come
to the tables to remember that God as the

covenant maker and the covenant keeper,
that he remembers you, and that we get

to remember Jesus as our anchor of hope.