BEEN THERE, DONE THAT (24 OF 54)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: Genesis 20:1-19
This content is part of a series.
Been There, Done That (24 of 54)
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 20:1-18
Some time ago, I read about a pastor that preaches a sermon series every year called ''Summer Reruns.'' Each summer, when the attendance plummets, he preaches his most popular sermons from the previous year. You could call this, ''Pastor's Greatest Hits.''
As we eyeball Genesis 20, you may feel that we are having our own summer reruns! If you have been studying with us, you are about to experience a strange sense of déjà vu. Previously, we looked at a very similar account in Genesis 12:10-20. In that passage, Abraham and Sarah devised a scheme to avoid problems with Pharaoh in Egypt. Abraham asked his wife to lie and tell the Pharaoh that she was his sister. Now, eight chapters later, the names and places are changed but the results are nearly identical. This has led some to say it really was the same account recorded twice. Yet, clearly these are two different accounts. The reason we take up this second account is because it speaks to an issue that is relevant to all of us: recurring sin. Here, we see Abraham making the same mistake again.
These things should not surprise us. It parallels our own experience. Aren't there things in your own life that dog you relentlessly? Are there sins that you have taken to the Lord and said, ''Never again?'' Only to find yourself returning to the Lord to confess the same sin again and again. It may have to do with substances (alcohol, drugs, food). It may have to do with interpersonal relationships (gossip, anger, slander). It may be physical (some habit you can't shake). It may be mental (lust, anger, bitterness, resentment). It may have to do with money (debt, a lust for the material, a reluctance to give to the Lord). It may have to do with time management (wasting time, neglecting time for God). Whatever the sin, I suspect you don't have to look very far to find one or two that you struggle with constantly. Today, in ...
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 20:1-18
Some time ago, I read about a pastor that preaches a sermon series every year called ''Summer Reruns.'' Each summer, when the attendance plummets, he preaches his most popular sermons from the previous year. You could call this, ''Pastor's Greatest Hits.''
As we eyeball Genesis 20, you may feel that we are having our own summer reruns! If you have been studying with us, you are about to experience a strange sense of déjà vu. Previously, we looked at a very similar account in Genesis 12:10-20. In that passage, Abraham and Sarah devised a scheme to avoid problems with Pharaoh in Egypt. Abraham asked his wife to lie and tell the Pharaoh that she was his sister. Now, eight chapters later, the names and places are changed but the results are nearly identical. This has led some to say it really was the same account recorded twice. Yet, clearly these are two different accounts. The reason we take up this second account is because it speaks to an issue that is relevant to all of us: recurring sin. Here, we see Abraham making the same mistake again.
These things should not surprise us. It parallels our own experience. Aren't there things in your own life that dog you relentlessly? Are there sins that you have taken to the Lord and said, ''Never again?'' Only to find yourself returning to the Lord to confess the same sin again and again. It may have to do with substances (alcohol, drugs, food). It may have to do with interpersonal relationships (gossip, anger, slander). It may be physical (some habit you can't shake). It may be mental (lust, anger, bitterness, resentment). It may have to do with money (debt, a lust for the material, a reluctance to give to the Lord). It may have to do with time management (wasting time, neglecting time for God). Whatever the sin, I suspect you don't have to look very far to find one or two that you struggle with constantly. Today, in ...
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