1. SPIRITUAL FATHERHOOD Part 4

2. BEING AND LIVING AS A CHILD OF PROMISE

3. “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.” Genesis 16:1-3 “Tell me you who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.” Galatians 4:21-23

4. FAITH AND FLESH COLLIDE “But I say, walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident…” - Galatians 5:16-19a

5. THE WAR BETWEEN FAITH AND FLESH Good motives are not enough to avoid the consequences of tainted (fleshly) living “Taint” Definition of taint: : to hurt or damage the good condition of (something) : to make (something) dangerous or dirty especially by adding something harmful or undesirable to it

6. BAD DECISIONS = UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES

7. The war between our faith and our flesh will not end in this lifetime

8. RISKY BUSINES S So, what happened with Abraham and Sarah? “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.” Genesis 16:1-3

9. IMPURE METHODS = UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCE S GENESIS 16:4 “He slept with Hagar (the slave woman) and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.”

10. THE WAR BETWEEN FAITH AND FLESH Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” 6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. Genesis 16:5-6

11. THE WAR BETWEEN FAITH AND FLESH: CHILD OF THE FLESH “Then the angel of the Lord told her (Hagar), “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, g for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” Genesis 16:9-12

13. 13 YEARS LATER: NEW WRINKLES AND NEW MIRACLES … Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him …You will no longer be called Abram, for I have made you a father of many nations……God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations…” Genesis 16:16-17:16

14. THE WAR BETWEEN FAITH AND FLESH THE CHILD OF PROMISE “Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” 19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. l I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” Genesis 17:17-21

15. THE WAR BETWEEN FAITH AND FLESH THE CHILD OF PROMISE “Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son…Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him…Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him… Genesis 21:1-3

16. FAITH AND FLESH COLLIDE “…on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” Genesis 21:8-10

17. WHEN FAITH AND FLESH COLLIDE God’s Isaac: Born Of Faith in God’s Word Membership in family inheritance by faith Ishmael: Born Of Confidence In Flesh Fleshly collision with the family of faith

18. WHEN FAITH AND FLESH COLLIDE That which is born of the flesh is illegitimate. Only faith makes us legally and Spiritually an heir to God’s promises Only Faith-based action is the legitimate activity in God’s economy

19. THE WAR BETWEEN FAITH AND FLESH “Tell me you who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.” Galatians 4:21-23

20. “His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. 24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above (Heavenly) is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”(Is.54:1) 28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” j 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” Galatians 4:23-31

21. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Because, “…the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forward you, just I I have forwarded you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” - Galatians 5:19-21 But the fruit of the Spirit (faith) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with it’s passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. -Galatians 5:22-25 I’m at war

22. When we act outside of God’s promises we’re unarmed, ineffective and unproductive When we act by faith in God’s promises, we’re making war with everything that raises itself up against the knowledge and promises of God.