Different (2) // Abraham

Here recently, this production named - The Greatest Showman hit the world hard! It’s a powerful and inspiring movie telling the unlikely story of a man gathering different people together from all sorts of backgrounds. These people were different by their names, physical appearance, upbringing, and lastly by their performance. One PT Barnaum brought together a band of individuals and shocked his community and the world by the entertainment they brought! Before I introduce and discuss these individuals I need you to know something!

Illustration: Greatest Showman explanation of different characters that made up an incredibly unique, powerful, awesome, and inspiring show.

Their uniqueness required for a show not a way of life. YOUR uniqueness required for a way of life not a show.

PT Barnum -

Phillip Carlyle - aka Zac Efron

Jenny Lind - famous Swedish singer “Swedish Nightingale.”

Anne Wheeler - acrobat and trapeze artist.

Lettie Lutz - bearded lady, singer

W.D. Wheeler - acrobat/Anne’s older bro

Deng Yan - Chinese acrobat and blade specialist

Charles Stratton - dwarf performer General Tom Thumb

The Lord of Leeds - 500lb man

Vasily “O Clancy” Palvos - irish giant

Strongman - a man with enhanced strength

Walter - the dog boy

Chang and Eng - Siamese twins

Jeff Harris - Juggler

The Human Cannonball

The Woman in Gold

Frank Lentini - the Three Legged Man

Prince Constantine - the tatooed man

The Elephant Skinned Man

Blockhead

My Favorite

Mr. O’Malley - a former pickpocket whom Barnum employs after failing to rob him. O’Malley handles different tasks like staffing the front of the house, selling tickets, reading reviews, fending off protesters.

Delivering powerful impact to their community.

Each person uniquely providing their piece of inspiration to create = the Greatest Show.

It’s a great movie and production, but all in all it’s for entertainment. And entertainment can only take us so far. Especially when it comes to understanding our purpose and/or what’s really out there in the world.

I’ll categorize it to us like this:

The World - puts on a show to entertain and keep our attention

The Way - what the Bible refers to as the way, the truth, and the life referring to Jesus and the disciples whom turned the world upside down with the message of the Gospel

The Witness - similar to what we heard last Sunday with Wyatt...

God wants for us to do this season differently. Christmas season is the season of giving. And we need to know what it means to give and what’s been given.

Enter Abraham

Not a normal man by any means. When people in the Bible talked about Abraham, people listened. He was a reference to grab attention or to make justification on behalf of someone. His name was a title, an inheritance, and pretty much a legend. God used this man powerfully and God powerfully showed Himself off through him.

The Call -

The Covenant -

The Child -

The Climb -

Here’s what we need to know: turn to . As you are turning let me set this up for us.

The Conflict -

The Credit - Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness

Abraham is what we’d refer to as old school. He was very closely connected to the Flood. That means he wasn’t that far removed from stepping off the ark after God flooded the Earth and started over with Noah. In fact, I would assume Abraham orally heard the story repeated of the flood because of how close his descendants were to Abraham.

Abraham’s great grandfather Serug (200), great grandfather Reu (207), great Peleg (209), great Eber (430) , great Shelah (403), great Arpachshad (403), great grandfather was Shem (500) the son of Noah.

Abraham basically walked off the Ark too. You’re welcome.

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Application

Abraham was willing to offer up his “everything,”

During this season we want want want

We should be like Abraham this Christmas and give because of what Jesus gave to us.

Give your life to Jesus.

Give your obedience to Jesus.

Give all your devotion, love, and attention to Jesus.

Don’t keep anything from God.

Abraham’s obedience is our model.

Praise God we don’t have to provide a sacrifice to cover our offense to God. God did it.

NOW we GET TO BE a living sacrifice because of this truth.

What’s one gift you want - instead of getting that gift - give the amount of that gift to this offering to a family in need. Using Venmo to take up offering.

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