I. Introduction
A. What is Fear?
- Fear is our heart’s response to a perceived threat that is bigger than ourself
- It is the expectation of harm or loss that you believe you cannot stop
- Fear is constantly just under the surface of everyone! We all have fears. And they are growing!
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” - Luke 21:25-27
B. Fear is Real
- It is one of the most powerful emotions. More powerful than love and hate!
- You can’t just switch off fear
- You have to deal with fear as a strong enemy
- And overwhelm it, defeat it with something that is greater, more powerful
C. Fear Can Be Good
- It can be a good motivator - stops you from taking stupid risks like walking onto a highway with your eyes closed
- But it is a very bad master - can take over and cripple you when it is in charge of you
D. Fear Should Never Control a Christian
“For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” - 2 Corinthians 7:5
- Paul had fears, but he always overwhelmed his fears with spiritual weapons, and pressed on every day of his life no matter the dangers
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” - 2 Timothy 1:7
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” - 1 John 4:18
- Unfortunately, Abraham hasn’t learned this yet - he is about to let his fears cause him to lie once again about Sarah, and put her life at risk, in order to protect his own life. Fear is Abraham’s habitual sin (besetting sin) that he needs to get victory over!
II. Message
A. Abraham Continues Journeying (Genesis 20:1)
“And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.” - Genesis 20:1
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Away from Sodom
- He’s putting as much space as possible between him and Sodom
- The judgment of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin would cause YOU to move on
- God turned the entire area into ashes and sulphur and salt
- THAT is the context of what Abraham was living - a world that had just seen and experienced the judgment of God on a sinful culture and nation!
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Abraham has been on a journey ever since he left his home back in Genesis 11
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” - Hebrews 11:8-10
- Our desire to put down roots is not wrong - buying a house, having a family
- But how deeply down you put them is the issue
- You and I need to always be ready to move - to do God’s will!
- Most people are addicted to change, and they want to move for almost any reason at all, but rarely, for God’s will
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Abraham now arrives in Gerar of the Philistines
- This is their first time encountering the Philistines
- And Gerar is not far from Gaza
B. Abraham Lies AGAIN (Genesis 20:2)
“And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.” - Genesis 20:2
- He tells everyone he met in Gerar, that she was his sister - that was not the truth!
- This is NOT the first time Abraham has lied (Genesis 12:11-13)
- He lies and has Sarah lie as a form of self preservation
- Why? He’s trying to protect himself - he senses danger from the Philistine people
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The entire region is aware of what had just happened in Sodom and Gomorrah
- Abraham notices the culture and the people
- He’s jittery - nervous
- Remember they all knew about what happened in Sodom, and it made him afraid
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He exposed his wife to danger instead of himself
- Remember that Abraham is 99 years old, and Sarah is 89
- But both are extremely healthy and good looking
- If he said she was his wife, he expected to be killed to have her and his wealth
- But if he said she was his sister, Abraham would live
- Abraham doesn’t know what to do, so he relapses into lying because of fear
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…” - James 1:5
C. Abimelech Takes Sarah (Genesis 20:2)
- Abimelech is the king of the Philistines
- He notices Sarah and desires her
- He noticed a beautiful woman that had just come into town
- He probably was in his 60s or 70s himself
- He thought this 90 year old foreign woman was beautiful and apparently single
- He had heard that Abraham was simply her brother
- And he brought her to his home to marry her
- Not a good thing! She is already married!
D. Abraham’s Fear Causes Much Sin
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Fear is often unreasonable… not logical
- Abraham has 318 servants working for him - he has already used them as a small army to save his nephew Lot back in chapter 13
- Yet he refused to protect his wife and himself with them!
- He could have walked into town and had guards around him
- But instead, he was afraid, and he did not even try to protect his wife
- His fear caused him to sin - to lie - to put his wife’s life at risk!
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Abraham feared man
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” - Proverbs 29:25
- Fear of man means fearing what other people think, what they may do against you
- Being controlled by fear is a sin!
- Fears usually cause us to do wrong things - to lie, steal, fight, run away, hide
- When we should stand for the truth, be humble, accept rebuke and correction
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The truth is, fear rarely sins alone
- An employee with 1 talent feared making a mistake, and sinned by not even trying to invest his employer’s money (Matthew 25:24,25)
- The disciples feared the mob in the Garden of Gethsemane, and sinned by abandoning Jesus
- Peter feared persecution, and sinned by denying even knowing Jesus!
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Look what fear has done to Abraham’s marriage!
- It was about to ruin it!
- Sarah now is in Abimelech’s palace, being prepared to become his wife!
E. God Influences Authorities Even Though They’re Lost (Genesis 20:3)
“But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.” - Genesis 20:3
- God directs our authority’s lives - whether they understand it or not
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” - Proverbs 21:1
- God is constantly at work leading people to humble themselves before Him and get saved!
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” - Romans 2:4
- Be wary of dreams
- God says, be careful of listening to people who think that God is talking to them
- Some people have dreams about dying and going to a paradise and have never repented and been born again!
- We must compare everything we experience with God’s own words
F. God Warns Abimelech in a Nightmare (Genesis 20:3)
- “You are a dead man” - What a way to talk to a king
- “You have taken another man’s wife”
- Sarah was not just any man’s wife - she was Abraham’s wife
- David did this with Bathsheba - and it was a crime, punishable by death
“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” - Leviticus 20:10
- But there is grace, extreme forgiveness, when there is true repentance!
G. Abimelech Responds to God (Genesis 20:4,5)
“But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.” - Genesis 20:4,5
- He spoke back to God in his dream! He had a conversation with God!
- He reminded God he had not touched Sarah
- He was very afraid of God destroying his people like He had done to Sodom
- He claimed ignorance and innocency, and both were true
- And he calls God his ‘Lord’ - which means that Abimelech respected God as above him
H. God’s Intervention (Genesis 20:6,7)
“And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.” - Genesis 20:6,7
- God knew Abimelech was innocent - He saw integrity in Abimelech’s heart
- God had stopped Abimelech from committing adultery
- Committing adultery with another man’s wife is a sin against that man, but more importantly a sin against God
“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.” - Psalm 51:4
- God had restrained, interrupted Abimelech’s intentions - like a phone call, someone knocking, a child crying
- God tells Abimelech to willingly repay Abraham for taking his wife
- “Leave Abraham to Me” - You humble yourself first, even though you are not to blame
- Give Sarah back to Abraham
- Honour Abraham as a prophet - God’s prophet
- This is the first appearance of that word; it means he was a special man with a special calling
- As flawed as Abraham was, he spoke for God!
- Honour Abraham because you need Abraham - he will pray and intercede for you
- God also says about free will: if you don’t do what I’m telling you, you will die - you have a real choice, with real consequences!
I. Abimelech Reacts (Genesis 20:8-10)
“Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.” - Genesis 20:8
“Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.” - Genesis 20:9,10
- He warns his servants about what God showed him
- He’s very upset with Abraham
- He asks: What have you done to us? What did I do to deserve you lying?
- You should never cause someone else to sin
- Modern movies, the internet, how ladies dress - all are directed to cause everyone to sin
- Some of you parents are causing your kids to sin by teaching them they do not have to put God first
- God used an unsaved man to rebuke Abraham
J. Abraham’s Excuse (Genesis 20:11-13)
“And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.” - Genesis 20:11
- “I thought - I feared - I worried - I panicked”
- Abraham believed he was in danger. But he wasn’t in danger at all! He just feared it!
- Most fears are unfounded and wrong
“And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.” - Genesis 20:12,13
- Every liar justifies his lie
- She is his stepsister, which was a half truth - so a partial lie is still a lie
- Abraham admits that he asked Sarah to cover for him - to protect HIM (not her)
K. Abimelech Rewards Abraham (Genesis 20:14,15)
“And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.” - Genesis 20:14,15
- He honours Abraham not because of his wealth, but because he knew and walked with God!
- Your walk with God makes you greater than your money and political power
- Paid him back for his wrongdoing (even though he hadn’t done anything wrong)
- Sometimes you’re not the one that’s done wrong, and it doesn’t hurt to say “I’m sorry” and let the other person win
L. Abimelech’s Rebuke of Sarah (Genesis 20:16)
“And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.” - Genesis 20:16
- Abimelech rebukes Sarah - she should never lie for him again
- He pays Abraham 1,000 silver coins to get her some proper clothes
- Telling Abraham: You need to cover what other men see - she needs to dress like a married woman
- Not a burka, head to toe - but be modest
- Make it apparent that she is your wife
- And notice he humorously calls Abraham ‘her brother’ (wink wink)
M. Abraham Prays and Intercedes for Healing (Genesis 20:17,18)
“So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.” - Genesis 20:17,18
- Abimelech’s palace is cursed! Everybody had gone sterile
- Closing all of those wombs was God’s punishment because of Sarah being stolen
- Abraham prays that everyone in the palace would be healed
- Even a backslidden Christian can pray for the protection and healing of lost people - God is the focus, not prayer
III. So, What is the Remedy for Fear?
A. Have Only One Fear
- Worry only about God. If you fear God, you will have no reason to fear anything else!
“Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” - Isaiah 8:13
- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of a sane life!
B. Pray When Afraid
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” - Psalm 34:4
- Seriously pray - cast all your fear, worries, terrors into the grip of Almighty God
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6,7
C. Have Deliberate Trust in God More Than You Believe Your Fears!
- That means BREATHE when your heart says SCREAM!
- Jesus constantly said 14 times, “fear not.” Why? Because of His presence!
- In His presence… demons tremble, wind and waves fall silent, tombstones roll away, and nations crumble at His feet!
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” - Psalm 56:3
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” - Isaiah 26:3
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” - Psalm 118:6
D. Focus on True Realities - On the Power and Presence of God
- Ignore conspiracies, the multitudes of talk shows, podcasts, all the constant news
- Have an anchor of your soul, in God’s truth
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” - Isaiah 41:10
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38,39
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” - Romans 8:18
E. Remember the Goodness of God
- His faithfulness - all the good gifts in your life because of God!
“Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt.” - Deuteronomy 7:18
IV. Conclusion
- Abraham struggled with fears - even though he was trusting God and believing God
- He put people at risk and even caused other people to sin by him lying because of his fears
- Do you fear God? Sodom teaches you to fear Him!
- Abimelech teaches us to never let our fears control us - only God!
- Tell God you are sorry for letting your fears be bigger than your God!