Sermon notes from Sunday 28 October 2018 am Mr Jackson McVicker
Genesis 24 verses 1 - 9
This morning we are going to look at a servant in search for a bride for his master`s son. One of the last important duties of Abraham`s was to find a wife for his son Isaac. Canaan and the surrounding areas were not fit to find a wife for the son of Abraham. Canaan was heathen and Abraham did not want a heathen wife for Isaac. An important job for Abraham`s servant. Abraham is old, well stricken in years, unable to travel the distance to find a wife for Isaac. It would probably have taken many days travel to seek and find a wife for Isaac. He couldn`t do it therefore he asked his servant to do it. He would be an important link in the chain to find a bride for his son. Without the servant the chain would be broken. Without the servant Abraham could not find a wife for Isaac. It is not too much of a stretch to say this servant is not unlike you and I as we seek for a bride for the Lord Jesus Christ. Souls for the master`s son, our blessed Lord Jesus. This servant Abraham sends out is like you and I today. We are sent out by our master to seek and to search for souls for the Lord Jesus Christ. We seek to be a witness that we might bring many sons and daughters into the kingdom of God.
Firstly notice the character of the servant. In chapter 15 verses 2 and 3 we find the name of Abraham`s servant - Eliezar. He was the heir to all Abraham had. "You haven`t given me a son and you promised me one, therefore all I have is this Eliezer, I am prepared to give all that I have to him that what I have may continue." Abraham`s family line would be in the hands of this servant, entrusted to fulfil his master`s plan. He had been with Abraham a long time, he was held in the highest respect so much so that Abraham thought of making him his heir. This man was held in very high esteem, he was going to leave everything to this servant. As we turn back to chapter 24 we see that his name is not mentioned. Verse 2 "And Abraham said unto his eldest servant." The Hebrew word for servant here means bond servant. It is not by chance that the Holy Spirit leaves out his name and puts in the phrase "bond servant". Abraham would take his bond servant and use him to find his bride for his son Isaac. In Romans 1 verse 1 Paul describes himself as a bond servant or doulos. Here`s a man who is a bond slave. He would have his master`s ear. He would want to fulfil his master`s wishes. Would do all at his beck and call to his master. Another portion of scripture tells us that a bond slave would be hired for 6 years and in the seventh year he would go free. That was the law but if you didn`t want to go free you must take your ear and put it to the door post and the master bore it through. After that you became his servant for ever. He was saying in effect "I love you, I will not go out free, I am giving it up for the service I am in." Paul says "I am the bondservant, my ear has been bored through, I love my master, I will not go free." Just like the New Testament states we should be that bondservant to Christ today. Can we say "I want to serve Jesus freely, I want to do what I can for my master, I want to serve him all the rest of my days." I believe we get saved and rejoice in God`s salvation, enjoy the service of the church, enjoy new found Christianity but there is a place and a time when we come and get our ears bored through. The cross takes root in our lives and we come to it and say "I love the Lord, I love him above everything else and Lord I want to serve you the rest of my days whether they be short or long." This is what Paul is all about. This is what this servant was all about. A bond slave or servant. Are we wanting to serve the Lord with all our hearts and minds and souls?
The commission of the servant. Verse 4 "but thou shalt go." Commissioned and engaged to search for a bride for his master. It was based on sovereign allegiance, not done lightly or at a whim because he is feeling good or feels close to his master. Verse 2 "put your hand under my thigh." The seed of my loins is in your hands. In other words "I am swearing alllegiance to my master." The continuance of my family line is in your hands. What a responsibility, a test of the character of this servant. Matthew 28 verse 19 "go ye therefore and teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost." 1 Timothy 6 verse 12 "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." Our allegiance is to our Lord and Saviour. His priority is to serve. Our sovereign allegiance is based on this great responsibility. Are we obedient servants today? Luke 17 verse 10 "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do." There is nothing in me or you, we are servants of the king. How many today serve for prestige or popularity? How many are behind the sacred desk just because it is a good job, makes them popular, gives them influence and an prominence in society? We serve this morning out of our allegiance, out of our love to the master. I will not go out free. The information was given to the servant. I have a plan for you to follow. He tells us that in verse 3. After he swears this is the plan I am giving you, this plan I want you to follow. God has given us a plan. He has given his word, instructions through it - Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths." His plan is in his word. This is the master plan. He has given us instructions in his book to follow. Abraham was giving his servant instructions. He had to follow the master`s plan. We need to follow the master`s instructions. He gave him detailed instructions - to my country, to my kindred and take a wife unto my son Isaac. If you read God`s word God will tell you his plan. If you give yourself to this book he will show you what you ought to do. Are you reading this book? The master`s plan. This servant was only to follow and we are to follow and be obedient to God`s directions. He has chosen a people, a country and he was to go find a wife for his son. Our service is to go with God`s word, to go to the place where God tells us to go, to the person he leads us to. Some would then say "are we to spend all our working days out knocking the doors, to sell up and become missionaries or preachers - is that what God expects us to do? Genesis 24 verse 27 "I being in the way the Lord led me to the house of my master`s brethren." God expects our lives to have a structure, to do the daily chores, the routine things. Some of us work, some of us bring up families, we have to always be mindful of the lost in the routine, daily things. The bride for the master`s son. Tomorrow might be like any other Monday but it might not be. We just do not know, God might give us an opportunity tomorrow and we might never see it come. We might never see it until it happens. Here`s God`s plan, God`s opportunity to speak, to do this or that, whatever he wants us to do. We are to be mindful. We are servants looking a bride for the master`s son. We are seeking souls for Jesus. Not all are missionaries but servants and as such we might feel tomorrow doesn`t matter. God will give you opportunities.
The completion of the commission of the servant. The servant had instructions from his master Abraham. Verse 5 we see the difficulties that might arise - "what if the woman be not willing to follow me into this land, must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?" What happens if you get disillusioned, your spirit is dampened, given false promises, when people let us down? How often that has happened. You get disheartened, refusals come quickly, what are we to do? Verse 6 "beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again." In other words don`t give up, keep looking, searching for a bride for my son. Verse 7 "he shall send his angel before thee." You will get help and probably not from another person, God will send his angel. John 15 verse 26 "but when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father." Angels in the Old Testament were messengers, in the New Testament the Comforter or the Holy Ghost is sent to us. John 14 verse 26 "But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." You will be dismayed with someone who is not willing to go with you. What do we do? We keep looking. God will send the Holy Spirit to help you, keep going, keep looking. Why do you hold gospel campaigns? How many have got saved during these campaigns? Why do we do it? To keep on searching, knocking that door again and again. It is very important because Abraham mentions this again - first in verse 6 and then in verse 8. Make sure you keep looking, keep searching. Jeremiah said "break up the fallow ground." The farmer knows what the fallow ground is - the uncultivated rough ground. He would go in there and break it up. Keep doing what you are doing. Galatins 6 verse 9 "we shall reap if we faint not." It is not over yet. Prepare for the next campaign, for a new contact, keep trying and pursuing it. The servant was the key to success. Abraham chose to send him. John 15 verse 6 "ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you ." You are chosen today by God himself. God picked you up from the dark path of sin. Whatever pathway you were taking you were on the wrong road. God picked you up. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 27 "but God hath chosen the foolish things." Many people look to John`s gospel where Jesus was talking to his disciples and told them they had been chosen to do God`s work and say that does not mean us. Did 11 men change the world - yes they did but eventually they died. Others took up the work. You and I are God`s own people today. Paul continued "but God hath chosen the foolish things to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." Some would say "I am feeling intimidated, I am too scared to speak." God has chosen you to work, "to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea and things which are not to bring to nought the things which are." The servant sought through to the end and we will see it through to the end. Listen to what was said at the end of the search - verse 68 "wilt thou go with this man? and she said "I will go." The journey was complete. The success was in God`s hand. How blessed it is to lead a soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a link in that chain. Maybe you prayed for that person, brought that person to a meeting. You are that servant. When it comes to the end or rather the beginning when we meet the Lord, when we pass from this world to the next, what will he say? Will he say "well done thou good and faithful servant"? It doesn`t say you will be successful, that you will lead many to Christ or any to Christ but you were faithful. Abraham`s servant was faithful to the end. That is all God expects of us. Faithful to the end and we will receive that reward when he calls us home. We are servants of the Lord. We want to serve him. To see men and women, boys and girls won for Christ. Sometimes we keep it to the person in the pulpit but we all have a part to play. We are links in the chains. Maybe God wants you to take someone on your heart and pray for them. God wants to use you where you are, to seek for those souls for him on our knees today.
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