Welcome! www.SunsetChurchofChrist.net Bibles and copies of sermons are available Please silence your cell phones Sunday Bible Classes 9:30 AM Worship 10:30 AM 5:30 PM Wednesday Bible Classes 7:00 PM www.SunsetChurchofChrist.net

Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Psalm 66:2 Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Hymns Invitation Red Songbook - Supplemental

Studying Genesis READ: Genesis 12 (11) Genesis 18: Abraham’s Mediation

God Came to Visit Meeting God as a Man - Coming to see the wickedness - Coming to see Abraham There are multiple times where “the Lord came down” Genesis 11:5 ¶ The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. Ex 3:8 "So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, While God is promising Isaac, He is also giving Abraham a sign: God is Just

God Came to Visit Meeting God as a Man The hospitality of Abraham - Hebrews 13:2 - a lesson for us in caring for others Heb 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

God Came to Visit Meeting God as a Man The hospitality of Abraham The promise: a son in a season

God Came to Visit Abraham mediates for Sodom & Gomorrah - Reputation of evil works - Only hope: God will be fair to righteous

God Came to Visit The image of mediation Mediation – Job 9:32-35 Umpire – “not equal” Job 33:23 "If there is an angel as mediator for him, One out of a thousand, To remind a man what is right for him, 24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom'; 25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor; 26 Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man. 27 "He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me. 28 'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.' 29 ¶ "Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. Job 9:32 "For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. 33 "There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. 34 "Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. 35 "Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

God Came to Visit The image of mediation Mediation – Job 9:32-35 Umpire – “not equal” Jesus is our mediator – Hebrews 9:15 Covenant work - mediation Heb 9:15 ¶ For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Heb 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

God Came to Visit The nature of preservation Salt of the earth – Matthew 5:13-16 Mt 5:13 ¶ "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 "nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

God Came to Visit How to negotiate with God Moses – Exodus 32:9-14 Ex 32:9 The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10 "Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation." 11 Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 "Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. 13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

God Came to Visit How to negotiate with God Moses – Exodus 32:9-14 Hezekiah – 2 Kings 20:1-5 2Ki 20:1 ¶ In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'" 2 Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 "Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.

God Came to Visit How to negotiate with God 1. Petition in a covenant relationship John 16:23 Joh 16:23 ¶ "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.

God Came to Visit How to negotiate with God 1. Petition in a covenant relationship 2. Be honest in supplication Psalm 51:17 Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

God Came to Visit How to negotiate with God 1. Petition in a covenant relationship 2. Be honest in supplication 3. Consider the will of God Abraham knew God; He knew that God’s will was to be right to the righteous Mt 6:10 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Ac 21:14 And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, "The will of the Lord be done!"

God Came to Visit How to negotiate with God 1. Petition in a covenant relationship 2. Be honest in supplication 3. Consider the will of God 4. Be prepared to fulfill your vows Psalm 76:11 Ps 76:11 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.

God Visited Abraham We want God to listen to us We need to be friends of God We need the mediation of Jesus Ps 76:11 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.

Covenant of Abraham For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:27-29