Mere people

HEB 13:5-6 NLT

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

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Is it possible you've made people into giants in your imagination? Has your envy grown others out of proportion?
The situation is that you look to others for your self worth. You feel insecure. You want what others have. You imagine the possession of things makes you valuable.
The accumulation of things does not give you value. We make this mistake when we say of the wealthy, "He's worth a million dollars!" A person may have at their disposal a vast amount of money and resources but this adds nothing to thier value.
Our value does not come from our wealth.

A few things you may have missed about Abraham

Genesis 25:1-18 ESV

1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. 

7These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. 8Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

12These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son,whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham.13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa,15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17(These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.

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Did you know that Abraham had at least two wives and concubines and the liaison with Hagar?

Did you know Abraham sent all his concubines and sons away to the East with gifts?

Did you know Ishmael and Isaac together buried thier Father Abraham?
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God is not endorsing Abraham's choices.
Have we forgot already that this is a story about God?

A Sheffield Working Man's Hero

But let's learn some things through a little review. God spent a lot of time on the Abraham project.
(How long has God been on your radar?)
Abraham lived 175 years. God didn't even ask Abram to start the journey of the covenant till he was 75 years old! So all the story we know spans the last 100 years of God's life. Of that bit, Isaac is the centre piece of the promise and he doesn't show up for 25 years! Lots of stuff happens but until Isaac is born were all wondering if God might have forgot. Well not really forgot but not sure what's going on. Then there is the sacrifice incident about 37 years after the call and initial promise. And although Genesis 25 puts a pretty good light on Abraham's life, the facts and a bit of reality sure look like a different story.

Abram is a foreigner with designs on other people's land. This would not make you immediately popular. Delayed by his dad's plans in Haran. Then he's moved out by famine to Egypt (this becomes a theme right through to Jesus). He had a run in with Egyptian authority's over a woman and convenient truth. Then he has a full scale war and had to rescue Lot. They have more encounters with God along the way, a city destroyed by fire from heaven , a pillar of salt for a niece-in-law, and the Hagar situation which becomes a major domestic scene. Things look like they might be turning around, over the years business had been good, Sarah had Isaac, God provided a lamb in the faith test. And then Sarah dies. So although once a foreigner always a foreigner, when faced with funeral negotiations for his wife Sarah's resting place the locals appear to be cordial enough.
Then we read about more wives, concubines and family schisms. And after all this time, waiting, trusting, and often doing the wrong thing Abraham's two sons Isaac and Ishmael who represent the biggest family feud many times worse and longer than the Hatfields and the McCoys, come together and bury their Father.

Abraham is not the star,  nor the villain.

We are not to read the bible story making our own saints of men who have exemplary faith or moral character.

We are to marvel at what God is doing through and in spite of mankind. What God is doing is on their behalf to glorify himself through his promise. A promise always pointing to Jesus. Whether we look back or forward with an expectation of his return or we were Abraham wondering why I'm sending away Ishmael or binding Isaac we are trusting God to write the story for his glory. and that is the way it should be.

This should help you get past yourself, your timetables, your judgemental attitudes and ask yourself, "What does God want me to believe about himself?"
What promise fulfilled in Jesus am I trusting in?

How can I quit trying to get my name on the marquee of my life's story.

Most Christians these days would be too embarrassed to have the things written about Abraham written in their biography. Abraham could never have been a church leader in the contemporary Christian church.

We think we are better than Abraham. And come to think of it we'd not have done ministry like Jesus did either.

We know better.

Don't we?

Humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 29:23 NLT

Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.

James 4:1-10 NLT

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?  But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

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Somewhere in the early 1980's I spoke in an evening church service to Cowden Lake Bible Church and the text of my talk was James chapter 4 verses 7-10.
About 30 years later I'm still learning this lesson. The way up is down. The verse in Proverbs this morning reminded me of that first sermon I'd preached as a teen.

The problem is that we don't believe it is true. We don't trust God.

Let me first remind you that it is first and foremost that you are to humble yourself before God. It is in the sight of God that you are to bend the knee. It should be easy, but we are head strong fools.

James points the finger and says with authority your problems are rooted in your pride. It is your pride that fuels your greed.  It is your pride that encourages your envy. Your pride causes you to harm your fellow man. Our pride tricks us into esteeming the praise of men more highly than the opinion of God, making us his enemy.
It is pride that convinces us that we know better than God. We'd stop the suffering, we'd heal the sick and lame and help the poor. If we were God, the world would be a better place. We'd rule it like we do our own little world. We'd bring order to everything. We'd be just. We'd judge the wicked.

Haven't you thought you knew what to do. Have you sat in judgement over your friend, family, or fellow christian? Haven't you spoke with confidence that you knew better than all the corrupt politicians? Haven't you laughed at the foolishness of the rich and famous because of course you'd not be as stupid?

Can't you see your pride?

(Of course you just need to be more assertive. You only need to speak up. You just need to take charge. You need to give people a piece of your mind. All you need to do is show them all how it is done.)

Listen to your heart. Hear your pride.

God is good. William is not good.
God is faithful and William is unfaithful.
God is just and William is unjust.
God is kind and William is unkind.

We need to see ourselves as we are before God.

We need to confess or pride and sin and praise God for his forgiveness.

Jesus humbled himself! Though he had no sin. Jesus humbled himself though he had all power. Jesus humbled himself though his plan is the most prefect plan. Jesus humbled himself though he had wealth beyond comprehension.

You and I are not greater than Jesus. So how can we too not so much more humble ourselves?

Take a good look at Jesus. Take a look at yourself.

Now get on your knees in humility and confess, repent and praise God Almighty righteous and good.

So do you agree that the highest purpose is praise and the biggest problem is pride?

Your feedback would be appreciated.
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