Burial and Bargaining - Pastor Andy Turner

33 the finals with you. I'd like to invite you. Add to get your vitals open quite a long passage this morning Genesis chapter 23, so I'm not going to read it an advance, but I'm going to read it as we go by and just for the sake of one or two people that has joined as in either today or indeed over the last few weeks. We've been working through Genesis and in particular the life of a of a very significant character code Abraham together with his wife called Sarah. And if we look every verse of the Bible one by one by one what happens is the every verse of the Bible have something to say to us that potentially could do was good and can help us to address some of the most significant issues that we thanks. So today we're going to look at a burial and who amongst his battles and isn't battling with great. We're going to look at bogging it or when you're negotiating in in this world and we're going to look at some promises what happens when promises don't get fulfilled and how do we handle those? And what do we make of those promises? Now in verse 1 of chapter 23, it says that Abraham's wife Sarah coating that one verse one. She live to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old people lives a lot longer going back over that time because the genetic and abna moments the human genome and people live longer an inverse to she died in the place go to Hebron, which is actually in the promised land that later on. The Moses was going to leave the people into around Joshua's going to leave the people into a butthead Abraham and Sarah are actually temporary living and what will be the promised land and she dies and it says that Abraham went to moon for Sarah. Unsafe as a week over her. Always doing it over to research this week. The Book of Genesis actually spends two thousand years. I don't know if he knew that you read Genesis book in the Bible. But Genesis is that she longer chronologically than the entirety of the rest of the Old Testament Sarah. Alright, chili the central couple in the two thousand years span. They are singled out a most attention is given to them. So what we've seen Aaron Goodwin and Sarah's death is now recorded. This is a very very significant events because we are now looking at the closure of the season of life of the most Central characters in The longest-running logical span of the Old Testament that a lot of focus. What is spiritual principle coming out of the scripture at this point Abraham as we know it central to Christianity and those of us who believe in Jesus says we are children of Abraham, but it also Sarah is a significant woman. She's the only person in the Old Testament and the only Patriarchs wife who is named when she dies and in fact in 1st Peter, I think it is Chapter 3 of the 6 it says that you are her daughter. If you do not give way to fear in other words and she is single now in the New Testament is Abraham is the father of all who believe Sarah is the mother of all who believe in that sense. This is not without significance a Saint Bernard Breeze her last. And this week and you watch the news at right you're wrong. They make it won't you choose but yet again that has been flagged up in the news the whole issue about women's right? Stop the violence against women and how women should be stood up for unprotected more and we're living in a in a culture which is continuously criticizing and the role of women in society as not being adequately represented. But what I want to say is this is that what is a boy but I think wrongly is criticized of being a patriarchal male domination kind of book is it is true that women significant women who did the voice for Jesus to God, I'll recorded faithful in scripture in the book at a time when women will never mentioned and I want to say the opposite is true. Chauvinist the Bible is not a chauvinistic book and actually got on his Women of Faith equally as much as the owners men of faith and Sara head is singled out as a woman of faith and death is recorded in detail because of who she was in God. Now, let's look a little bit more what's going on in verse 1 and verse to sarahdise and Abraham comes to weep over his wife. I'm just wondering as we have considered the life of Abraham over the last 22 weeks. They have quite literally been through a wall also been through Marital infidelity and the marriage has survived his wife divorced his wife and another person and yet the marriage has survived the scene the nice and then didn't the nephew Robert and then return the watch family members extended family members and Gomorrah as visited and survived and they have been through decades and decades and Decades of not just a positive but also be incredibly challenging and the marriage has survived Abraham is my horrible mistakes as a husband and get the memories just Divine Sarah has make horrible mistakes as a wife has survived 1.8. Arranges for her husband to have a girlfriend conceive a child by that go friend and then get bitter and jealous and scared by the Sun and send a woman and the child away into the giving children away and get the marriage survived. An Abraham now comes to weep over a marriage that's going through hell and high water and yet has survived. Sharon Lloyd mercifully no marriage have never have the trauma of infidelity. I trust in God's grace. We never will but our relationship and Dave as in most marriages has suffered. External and internal strain miscarriages homelessness at one point pressure from church leadership to the point where one point I have to be medicated allegations and social services and somehow in the middle of a marriage is survived by the grace of God. I want to say this we live in a culture of divorce. We surrounded by a Litany of broken relationships horrendous mistakes. I don't want to say this to it this morning. If you're in a situation where you're under great pressure and your relationship is the word of God to you. There is Grace for every marriage every relationship fringe-toed at the fringes in the edges. It might seem to be there is Grace for that situation unless you're living with abuse and that's another story Done Quick in that marriage. Some of us have given our children away over the years to adoption social services or abortion. I don't want to say this to you this morning. If it was gracious a disgrace for you disgrace first is Grace first this grace for us and by contrast we live in a culture where very very little is made of marriage and much is made of the wedding day is on what true entire program digital channels where it's all about getting married in the perfect guy in children from birth to imagine themselves and white center in the island exotic locations of having 24 perfect doves released into the air and like the princess and living happily ever after I mean, you'll have indirect actually latest insult about your marriage for me at 8 to you're planning your wedding to come. Nope, there's nothing wrong with that. That's a lovely thing to do. But in the Old Testament notice the wedding date, but the married to come the last day of marriage and I wonder how strong I might have relationships be in of cultural norms in a cultural experience on indeed in God's family in the church. If we made more about being married on the last day Robin put it over on the first day. Let's all have a glorious first day of marriage and Willow marriage have survived. And when I look at shower know she looks at me whichever one of us dies first, but you will Withers through the decades and despite the pressure we can give thanks to your Shield Grace in that process. I wonder whether she have a reality show rather than have a and how to get married wonderfully reality. We should have a reality show that says how to stay married long enough to have a spouse who will your burial program and see if they want to make that program. I want I want to see iFunny before we move on to the rest of the villagers In this passage is the marriages have broken we speak with compassion. But when dialing please reach out for Grace because there is Grace it's not too late and encourage. How are younger generation Yet to Come. Can we change them? I can we build in that we pray for them and help them and support them and give them the biggest vision for what it is to be dominant relationship with those they are yet to be joined with this morning. I'm so so blessed to have you in our church. So blessed.

Making their own Journey with Jesus and the making progress and we going to pray for our daughters and pray for all goes and pray for our youngsters and pray for us that they will be men and women who will Who will walk with Jesus but also have integrity in those relationships.

Verse 3 of the reading Abraham Rose from beside his dead wife that he was currently in. How do you spell Saints or go straight in verse for he says I am a forward and a stranger among you sell me some property for a burial site so I can Dairy so I can bury my dad like in Perry Sarah. No, Abraham is effectively and angry and in a foreign land he cannot buy life and he doesn't have the legal right and at this point but he's he's beginning now to his wife moved out of that Pagan City hit you wants to own a he wants to bury her in the Promised Land.

Diverse find the hate science reply to Abraham. Listen to bury your dead in the choices about none of us will refuse you and the to the burying your debt. So the same you can have a little poke Co Land Rover that you know, you are a mighty Prince amongst you what's going on here. Now a number of years ago. We used to live in grangetown. And are you guys still having drinks? And then I bought a couple of car dealerships world with Ford dealership West Olympian off road and you walk into a Ford dealership or indeed anything by a car and instantly the salesman jumps up and goes into sales mode so I can see you're a mighty Prince Among Us.

You're looking extremely handsome and good-looking. Would you like a cup of coffee special salesman? Don't care about you. They care about the wallets and their commission and they think actually will give you this 3lb cup of coffee and you think wonderful and then actually they're taking three or four fountain pen out your back pocket. So that's with a 3-pound cup of coffee is the Middle Eastern flavor of the story. So you're a mighty Prince the offering her little funeral plot as a kindness and initial flattering there a lots of verses in Proverbs, by the way what channel for the flattering tongue if somebody flatters you they will have an ulterior motive. And it doesn't happen a lot of work went off and I work in a school and then last week or the week before when it was announced by the government that schools get to choose the grains of the pupils the level of respect on getting things. So well with never had another math teacher like you to tell me the truth. Yes, they are.

The abrahamic heroes of the land of the Hittites and he's now getting in the game. He's playing the game he's going to die song and then some of you will no sales people who got a great game pack face if you want to buy a car with you your services to the entire church, but we will not go shopping with my father even to buy a toaster or microwave. He will not leave unless he gets something even if it's a free plug or something. I'll let you get something extra that wasn't being offered and Abraham now, he's he's he's got his game face on and if you're willing to let me bury my dad then listen to the intercede with apron or I guess he's there is a local business guy on my behalf.

How do you know if some guy called Mac?

Mackie I want Max can you know who's winning movie is what model of KV once he knows what he's asking. As a burial site is a free full price right at the gates. Interesting technique is near Kona in the middle. I want a decent place. I want to I want to be buried next to her on the same on the same plot. And says this 10 Ephron the hittite was sitting amongst the people I need comes down into the conversation replies to Abraham who would come to the gate of the city. The city gate was where the elders would assemble The City Gate is where business types of place and verse 11. Listen to give you the field and give you the cave in the field and know she's what's happening very subtly the word give doesn't mean give it actually means she'll give it is it's a very cunning thing that's going on here and eat phone is not offering to give his cave and look what he's done. I'll give you the land on the cave is instantly overselling him. How many you have to go to a shopping site? I'd like to buy those shoes and you came away with insurance which cost more than the shoes cost in insurance when you trying this and this is you going I'm going to buy microwave and you come out I microwave for fifty quid and insurance 450 Cricket. How did that happen?

It's an interest in that human nature never changes culture changes, but she would nature never changes on the many of us in this room of her a variety of different cultural backgrounds, which is actually wonderful and the white shipping goes to church but whether you are Nigerian or Welsh or British or English and human nature never changes, you noticed whether it's today human nature is always the same and he's trying to oversell Abraham here.

What's going on is the Abraham is under pressure to make a quick deal without being sued and he's in the Middle East is wife has died the freezers in Lockers in mortuary. He's under pressure to get his wife in the ground as fast as possible because quite frankly she starting to decompose. I think even today in in cultures where the climate is predominantly hot as a Muslim culture in the country's you try and get your your loved one yo-yo berri within the next day. But here's the deal always try to avoid making a deal when your Under Pressure because you'll be taking advantage of always be prepared to walk away from a deal. I'll make a deal when you're not under pressure. We have to buy a car about four years ago a previous quite literally the engine exhaust system blew up and we quite literally broke down on confetti Mountain on the way back to Philly and had to get a new car within a couple of days and the seismosaurus coming and we got a reasonable day of I know for a fact we had a month to think about it. We could have got finals in pounds less how you don't have to keep trying but that's just the way it was. What really annoys me have you noticed the world is full of wicked people and they see your tragedy as their opportunity. How many of us have been a pool companies in the last year who have been inflating the price of PPE and hand sanitizer sending testing kits on Ebay at inflated price the number of scammers. How many. People bring up every week saying you're under investigation my lovely wonderful beautiful sophisticated why we made a tragic mistake about a month ago. I filled in an online survey and gave on Johnny landline away. I'm we have at least two or three calls a week. If not more everyday almost she's saying that now but judging Lee and apparently I'm being investigated for tax in about 17 different authorities Across the Nation and if I will just try and give a donation that will go away and Microsoft sign. I've got a problem with machine and if I will just install this software and give me the details it will all go away again. I feel a reason and I'm reasonably a wonderful and by themselves to give in because of fear because of these scammers.

I need any of you have any jokes at any point that you're being scammed bring me up a ring somewhere and just get some moral support what you think we're going to get more vulnerable and I'm not even the faintest idea that it might be his and don't do it. Ring me first before you agree to anything to look after each other in Gold Tile sold. Does 12 Abraham to the people of the land honeysett saffron listen to me? If you will, I will pay the price of the field accept it from me so I can bury my dad to know what's going on. Here is Abraham will pay whatever you want. It probably sounds like an opening bid or bogging in ship to those that he's doing business with. Efron of replies in verse 14 and verse 15 listen to me my Lord the land is worth 400 shekels of silver nothing bury your dead. Now we need to know that full hundred shekels of silver is actually an exorbitant price. In the currency of the day. This is a staggeringly overpriced sum of money and it's actually in today's currency value of a shekel. It's so many pounds and I looked up one day this week the price of silver. This is worth 2760 lb, if you pay for that today now go back historically. What would 2760 lb today? Maybe if you went back three thousand years and adjusted for inflation. This is an exorbitant price as so much for this flattery. Let me do you a good deal? He's absolutely unconsciously taking advantage of Abraham here don't accept the first offer. It'll always be off the scale amazing liver 60 Abraham agrees to pay the price ways out the head and the name price in the hearing. 400 shekels of silver according to the white current amongst the night at the merchants probably took everybody by surprise because we don't handle over because some things we just wanna wanna Now if you want to handle over your fuel gas supplier, I'm with you 100% I change my gas if we had and I would always suggest that which we haggle over your mobile phone contract haggle over your car insurance Heigl Heigl Heigl has the railroads. But when it comes to things that we want to honor we don't haggle. We just pay you what we need. If your daughter needs medical attention, we just tied it we just get it done. Talking to my dad do the giant mums go to sing with her Ryan a cataract whatever and you know, we love the NHS with great for it. But if it comes to it, we just going to go to private and we'll get some things you just wanna wanna. When it comes to your family when it comes to doing the right thing, we just pay what we need to pay. Do you know the parable Parable from the New Testament to the power of gentleness and the damaged ink? Henry Testament and the New Testament Church many many years ago and we had a lady in the church. I think she's died now and that she was living a semi-detached house in the suburbs of London and it was light and the water shouldn't go to the rain water and she put pressure on you should pay and they argued and argued and argued for months and months and months and then she did the unforgivable thing. She said and you should do the right thing and the neighbor. So what if you're a Christian I want nothing to do with you. No, God bless Jenna. She was an older lady. She was by herself. She didn't know any better in many ways. But we pay for the gout trying to do the right thing because it sends a great impression to the watching world around us and there's a time and a place we let people walk all over us but there's a time and a place to do the right thing. Even if we could fight for our rights. Otherwise, he's even have an account to don't we wear with tulle to fight for our rights and we fight for everything and sometimes there is a place where we don't fight for our rights. We just go above and beyond the blasting. The ultimate example with Jesus did he deserve to be crucified? Was he within his right to say there's no guilt in me. And he will but yet voluntarily allowed himself to be nailed to a cross for the greater benefit of humanity. Best 17 Efron's field in and field of Mac memory the field of the old trees the Trees of the field with deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the hedgehogs. What's this verse saying? This was all done openly publicly and legally and Sara Lee. It was all done honorably. When we first got married in the first summer after we got married Sharon, I went to Romania and the anthem disrespectful and merging charismatic church is going to build a building and then we spent a month working with this church and I was talking with a pastor. This is the church building. So what does that belong to the church? He said he said that land has been there for years and no one uses it but there's a lull in Romania. Apparently that says something and it's not playing for 7 years you get to keep it. NFL welfare enough, that's what he wants to do. That's what he wants to do. But the question is is the owner of Apple. What I love about Abraham here is he he's paying the full price. He's doing everything in public. He's doing everything legally. Everything's aboveboard. He's not cutting any Corners the Bible talks about God's people being without reproach not even the hint of a scandal among those people. I don't want to say no deals. We do. We do everything above and beyond pounds worth of MOT giving free car am I can lose the vit for you? Acrobats live in a pound to spend on a car that's going to cost me $5 a pound and I can actually save myself about 60 crate on the v a t i can lose a friend with me who is helping me with one of the church meet us at the time. He says how can you just lose the V. I see all these idiots. I'm offering to give you 60 quit that the tax man will never know but my friends have no weight in Gold Canyon were honorable and gold King the way we do everything right? We don't put cups conus verse 19 Afterwards Abraham buried his wife in the cave at the field in the land of Canaan to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site. Do you know that today there was actually a Muslim Shrine on top of that very field where they still go to owner Abraham and Sarah who were buried that. I liked what I heard. There's some research has felt a little bit indignant doesn't that sound awful that the most wins of come along for the shrine on top of our Biblical father has already dishonorable and my instinct is to be indignant. I'm frustrated. and then I started to think you know, what is burial points is Abraham's tomb it's all about Jesus and Jesus isn't lying in a tube and you can say a minute Phil stole this next part of my son when he prayed a day without realizing it, but I want to say that Muhammad is in a teaspoon of butter is in a 2 and Gandy is an assumed a Mandela has a tune and Joseph Smith has assumed and, and world religions and causes look to dead men to leadership. But we look to Jesus he was alive and we have a living leader who can speak and can guide men and women are currently looking to leave to a currently leading governments leading global warming movements leading black Empires YouTube influences, but Jesus will never have a to Jeff. Bill Gates will have a tune Steve Jobs already has a tomb Kim Kardashian will have a tune. Boris Johnson will have it soon. Share too. Loudly some of you will have it to you and I will have a two but Jesus doesn't have a 2 and never will have Jesus is Alive. Hey, man. Hey man, I'm not brings into a final thought as we close this morning is that Sarah died before the promises that would give them to her pain to pass. You will have many nations. You'll be given a land. But Sarah dies before those promises actually occur. I don't want to say this this morning that everything that God promises get worked out for you and I in this lifetime you and I might see those promises fulfilled from the other side of the Grave for us. What difference does that make note every blessing that God promises we necessarily get to see whether I'm nice. Not every problem that we have necessarily get sold in our lifetime Hebrews 11 verse 9 16 talked about this and Hebrews 11 verse 13 in particular says that Abraham and Sarah did not receive the things promised. But she got her and Sarah got her son and her grandson and her great-grandson after she died. She never saw the promised land but through her line one day. Jesus came. I'm pops for you. And I just may be a comfort to you might want to challenge me on this but you know, they know everything that God promises get work out for you. And I today or even this week or this month or even this year some issues in our life don't get resolved straight away, but that does not mean that God is not capable. It does not mean that God is indifferent and it doesn't mean that those promises won't be fulfillment. It's just that sometimes there's a longer trajectory then we can perhaps understand and goes as planned. Purposes. Easy gold has a plan for East Conference at Nellis. You say Amen if you want to maybe Revival will come while I'm the pastor this church Revival book from now on dead better than you. We're we're off to seeing if it were but only job is to trust God in to be faithful today and leave a time enough to him that we will pray for Revival Community, We will push for what is right and we will challenge that way. She's unjust and we will sink to see all of that which is unalterable someone you know what I'm talkin about as well season of responsibility, but God will bring his promises to pass for in the meantime. Parents God has a plan for our teenagers fulfill today this week this month this year. So we'll keep praying when we will keep believing for all youngsters. How about keep believing the death spouse has an our grandchildren and their grandchildren?

Thank you. Jesus. God has a plan. There is a wicked Theology and I've said this before many times. I'm going to say again until I know you're going to say Amen to this but there is a way that seems to suggest that the doors people could not complete and utter Financial blessing in this lifetime. As of right now. I do believe that God wants to bless us and take care of us and provide all that we need and I do believe that one day. We will be incredibly prosperous time including differently than we see if he sees a panoramic he sees Generations, hence. Our job is to be useful and trust him and believe Jesus.

I just love this passage. Thank you Lord for this wonderful example. Labor having Sarah. May God bless this week as we do business you're going to go off now and we can do what they do and who gets the best deal on a text to mini golf place to get a shower and then we'll sing of final worship song. Father. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

father Frankie Father I want to thank you the Abraham and Sarah the marriage survived against the odds. Annual race was to water despite shoes, true love and friendship and not relationship. Father would you give great grace? The every relationship every marriage represented here today in the church, Leigh Ann in day or extended families.

I saw the way perhaps one or two people might be on the edge of what they feel they can enjoy. Father would you give them yet bulgur rice at the Mohawk moment of most desperation because little there is nothing that is beyond your Redemption. I saw the West some of us still behaves even damaged on the inside where marriages have broken. Lord would you just bring great grace for healing because low there is no judgment. There is no condemnation. There is only Grace in the sea. And you understand Lord what a broken mess of things we make of things sometimes but Lord you would just so gracious. And father might we see a generation of youngsters reversing a bucking the trend of cultural norms where we see marriage honored and esteemed and people equipped with the tools to keep that marriage intact primarily with Jesus at the center of that marriage being the glue that holds it all together. Oh Father, we worship. Oh Father, we worship. Put a price on studs for the Sunday school work as of this church as they seek to invest in the youngsters. I was invested in as a youngster when I didn't know what was going on. I know interesting no clue, but father when you actually brought me to yourself, I was 19 years old and all of that Foundation. Was there waiting to be taken advantage of thank you for those faithful Baptist Sunday school teacher's role as to share then invested in my young life. It was not without value. It was not in vain. It was a rich deposit. Blastoise a nice coworkers I want to try get this building or any other building open little while we can actually stops her soul youngsters in the more effective way when is wicked virus and all of its consequences finally wraps itself off and gets booted out the door father.

Would you lift these restrictions in your messy and rice?

father weather of promises that you have made the maybe we can see them being fulfilled right now. Would you give us Grace to trust? Believe a note yield to the Giants and the pressures of the enemy to give up from cold in a day.

Lord You Are Good Chords It's just a little bit. Always say the big picture that you see. But you can be trusted help us to trust you. You do know what you are doing. Help us to believe that you know what you're doing. What is Daniel said whether you think you can save us from the fiery pics, but even if you do not we will still trust in you you can save us from this trial. But even if you do not we will still worship you. Father is not about me today or any of us. Isabella sells and the generations and the generations that come after us. You love this community you love each card. If you love something I don't you love running your skin of all these little surrounding areas of East Cardiff. You know what you do anymore. Alicia Renda and we trust in your wisdom in calf in Jesus name Shoei standing worship is final worship song at home if you want to stand and worship and maybe the beaches have to pray.

If you so choose black standing wish you Jesus.

Just have fun.

Stars and Stripes

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