New York Times, April 16, 2011: So unshakable was this town’s faith in its sea wall and its ability to save residents from any tsunami that some rushed toward it after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northeast Japan on the afternoon of March 11. After all, the sea wall was one of Japan’s tallest and longest, called the nation’s "Great Wall of China" by the government and news media. Its inner wall was reinforced by an outer one, and they stretched 1.5 miles across the bay here.
The surface was so wide that high-school students jogged on it, townspeople strolled on it and some rode their bicycles on it. A local junior-high-school song even bragged about its safety.
But within a few minutes on March 11, tsunami waves tore through the outer wall before easily surging over the 34-foot-high inner one, sweeping away those who had climbed on top, and quickly taking away most of the town of Taro.
"For us, the sea wall was a source of pride, an asset, something that we believed in," said Eiko Araya, 58, the principal of Taro No. 3 Elementary School. Like several other survivors, Araya was walking atop the inner wall recently, peering down at the ruins of Taro. "We felt protected, I believe. That’s why our feeling of loss is even greater now."
As we turn back to Abraham and Sarah, we find them about to have a similar shock – what they took security in, was not so secure! A shock that brings them back down to the reality of who they are and who God is. Their “wall” of plans was certainly not as solid as they thought.
Genesis chapter 16 ends with these words, “Abram was eighty six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.” Chapter 17 begins: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram…”
As we compare these two verses one after the other we find a gap of thirteen years. What happened during those thirteen years? Scripture tells us nothing. But we do know that Ishmael grew up. He became a teenager.
What was going on with Abraham and Sarah? Nothing. Well, Scripture tells us nothing but we can conclude that nothing was happening in the spiritual life of this couple. Why? Because they were living under the assumption that they were DONE. They had fulfilled the covenant promise of God to have a child.
Remember how we looked at this last week? They had figured out from their cleverness how to fulfill the promise of God to Abraham to have a son and did so by having Abraham sleeping with their maid Hagar. He had a son by breaking his marriage covenant with Sarah. That’s what people did at that time and that is what they figured out was the plan of God.
So Abraham and Sarah were living in the illusion that Ishmael was the child of promise. Through their cleverness and ability to go around the Word of God they were able to make it happen. For thirteen years they were living not in the promise of God but in the accomplishment of the flesh. And as a result, they were dead spiritually. They didn’t need to trust in God – but in their own smart planning.
How many today are living their lives in the same way? Living according to what they have accomplished in the flesh, with their body, with their mind, with their good deeds toward neighbor? Oh there are many wonderful works that we do and should continue to do. Ishmael was a beautiful child of God and a blessing to his father. But what you do in your body does not make you any more pleasing to God. It does not make you any more acceptable before him. Isaiah 64:6 says “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
I’m reminded of the large package we received in Poland one year. A church had made a collection of clothing and sent two large packages to us as a love offering. We were thrilled to receive such a gift but as we opened up the boxes, our joy turned to shock. As we reached into the box we pulled out piece after piece of old and very used clothes - some with holes in them or stains. “What can we do with this?” we asked. “We can’t even give them to friends who are needy.” So basically, we threw almost everything into the recycling bin.
Don’t we do the same when we come before God with our good works – with our Ishmaels. I helped my neighbor! I took care of my husband! I made meals for hungry children! I’m friendly, polite, and an all-around nice person. I even loyally go to church and contribute to the needs there. We come before God with a package like that and what does he see? Old stained clothes - “filthy rags” according to Isaiah.
Like Abraham, God comes to us and says, “Do you really think you’ve accomplished my righteousness? Have you completed what’s expected? NOT EVEN CLOSE!” Even Catholics know that after a life of what seems to be perfectly good and righteous, there is a need for a purgatory because they know that no one has met the standards of God’s law. So they complete what was left undone in a purgatory between heaven and hell. Oh, if it was only so easy! If only we COULD accomplish God’s righteousness this way, but Scripture gives us NO option to earn our way. There is no purgatory mentioned in the Bible and there is no one who can get to heaven by his good behavior. “No one is righteous, no not one!” (Romans 3:10)
Abraham and Sarah needed a faith that was unshakeable – solid – certain and that is what we need in life of uncertainties. We think our lives are so much in control but one meeting with God blows that away.
1. So unshakeable faith first must come face to face with the all-powerful God!
Abraham and Sarah are in for the shock of their lives after living for 13 years hoping they’ve done good and are accepted by God. God says to Abram: “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless that I may make my covenant between me and you and may multiply you greatly.”
For the first time in thirteen years, Abram hears God again and every word is POWERFUL! He identifies himself as “El Shaddai” which means “God all-powerful.” He can do anything. We are weak – he is strong. No problem is too great for Him.
A little boy began to play the piano – he practiced day after day to play a short melody – “Jesus loves me” with his two fingers. Finally after weeks and weeks, he was able to figure out the complete melody. He thought of himself as a genius. Then his mom decided to take him to piano lessons and very quickly he discovered he was only just beginning – he could barely play compared to his teacher. And then his teacher listened to the professor of keyboard at the college and admired and with awe wished she could play as perfectly. And the professor of keyboard at the college attended the concert of the world famous pianist at the symphony hall. Tears came to his eyes as he listened to the passion and perfection of every note. And yet even this master of the piano was far from the perfection of the heavenly Father who created him.
God is all perfect and all powerful and we are not as much as we think we are strong compared to others. Look long enough and you will see reality. We are weak, unrighteous, and unworthy.
Do you know the El-Shaddai or are you still thinking you’re not so bad? You’re strong and able? That kind of faith will crumble quickly!
2. Unshakeable faith secondly walks with God.
And God tells Abraham and each of us here: “walk before me and be blameless/ perfect/complete.” Do you see what God is saying here? Abraham has not been walking with God at all. He’s been walking his own way and hoping that God would endorse it and approve. He would finish the walk and God would pat him on the back and say: “Well done!”
“Walk before me and be blameless” – what does this mean? Simply put, God wanted to be on the throne of Abraham’s life and no longer on the side or on the fringe. “Surrender your will to God and trust in Him to care for you, to lead you, to direct your path and provide for you. Follow his direction and trust in him intricately for all.”
Is he on the throne of YOUR life? So many believe and know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins. But there is an enormous difference between knowing and surrendering. It’s NOT about being “religious.” Religion is a lot of dos and don’ts. But you are called to be in relationship to the King of Kings – and when you are in relationship to Him, that means he is allowed to sit as King and Lord over your life. THAT is being a Christian.
And then God does something else with Abraham here. He repeats the covenant – the promises to him. You will be the father of a MULTITUDE of nations. Not just a son, not just a nation, but hundreds of nations. What an amazing promise!
3. Unshakeable faith worships the all-powerful God, walks with him and also puts no confidence in their own flesh.
And God tells him to keep the covenant. How? Vs. 10-11 “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised…it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.”
So here we have for the first time the mention of circumcision. And this physical sign becomes a crucial way of revealing an inner walk of trust in the God of promise. It’s an outward SIGN of an inward relationship of trust.
(Now I don’t want to dwell very long on this issue – and maybe you ladies are wondering what in the world any of this has to do with you. It’s only about men. But actually it’s an issue for all of us.)
Why in the world was circumcision established? It seems so odd. Why couldn’t God have commanded something simpler like shaving your head or running 10 miles or wearing certain clothes or something else? Why circumcision? I’ll tell you why - it was very literally the removal of the flesh and that removal was very permanent.
What is God saying to Abraham by telling him to be circumcised? Remove the flesh – don’t trust in what you CAN and CAN’T do! You are not saved by the flesh – by works. You cannot complete the commands of God. And so Apostle Paul talks about this in Philippians 3:3 “For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”
And this is the point – we are not to put confidence in ourselves - in our ability - but in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and HIS power, strength, and work that is in us through His Holy Spirit. It’s a powerful teaching. But very often powerful truths are agreed to but when it comes down to impacting your life, they are then rejected quickly.
And so God applies this principle of “cutting off the flesh” immediately to Abraham and Sarah: verse 15-16… Do you see the application? They CAN’T have a child at 90 and 100! But if they “put off trusting in the flesh” and trust in God, then ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. What is Abraham’s reaction? “Abraham fell on his face and laughed.” Was this a laugh of doubt? Of disbelief?
And this leads us to our last point about unshakeable faith: it has can do the impossible – unlimited!
It was the culmination of 30 years of God breaking down Abraham’s flesh. He was breaking down Abraham’s trust in himself to accomplish all the things of his life. It took 30 years for God to get Abraham to finally and utterly surrender to God’s work. There was no other way for him to have a son with Sarah other than God to do a complete miracle. It would have to be a work of God – Abraham couldn’t do it. And that was God’s goal!
Laughter revealed that Abraham was coming to the end of himself. For you it might be tears – and the words “I can’t do it!” But have you come to the point in your life when you just lift up your hands and laugh out of the sheer impossibility of your situation? I pray you have, because that’s the point at which really big things happen!
Read with me Romans 4:19-21 “He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”
Notice what happened when Abraham surrendered to the impossibility of the situation? THEN he grew strong in his faith. Then he HAD TO trust in God. There was no other way. “With God all things are possible.” We quote that and say we believe it but do we really? Only when all physical possibilities are exhausted are most people at that point. But once you reach the 0 point – you’re ready to go anywhere and do anything for the Lord.
God will do things in your life you’ve never seen before because NOW it’s God and it’s not YOU doing them. I pray that every person here might finally reach that 0 point of complete incompetence and laughter where we lift up our hands and say: God, it’s up to you. I can’t. You did. And God will accomplish all his good pleasure!
