Sunday Ministry Recap (Feb. 11)

(Lord willing, I want to resume something we used to do on this blog, and each week provide a brief synopsis of the ministry from the previous Sunday. This hopefully will help to preserve and water the seeds that are sown each week, and be a blessing to those who were not able to be with us. -- Mark)





Scripture Focus:

Genesis 14 - Abram Rescues Lot; Abram Blessed by Melchizedek


Key Thoughts Shared by Various Brothers:

Note the contrast between Abram's cowardice just two chapters earlier and his courage in the rescue of Lot ... am I growing in the Lord day by day and year by year? Abram fought with an army of servants "born in his own household" ... are we training those in our household to fight the Lord's battles?

The story of Melchizedek was the example used by Paul in rebuking the Christians in the book of Hebrews for being "dull of hearing" and lacking in knowledge of the deeper truths of the Word. Let's make sure we are not turned off or intimidated by Bible truths that take a little effort to understand.

When Abram and Lot separated, you might have guessed that Lot would have more influence for good in Sodom, since he was there with them and understood the culture and had more in common with them than did Abram. But in fact Abram had the more dramatic positive impact on the people of Sodom, even though he lived a "separated" life and kept apart from their culture. G. K. Chesterson once said: "The world is moved the most by those who have contradicted it the most."

Dire circumstances (temporarily) adjusted the perspective of the wicked King of Sodom. His words to Abram summarize a right philosophy of life ... "Give me the persons, and keep the goods ...." Investment in people is eternal; investment in goods is temporal. Joy comes from relationships, not possessions.

In addition, we took a quick look back at Abram's "altars" of the previous chapters ... how striking it must have been to the pagans around Abram to see him worship an invisible God. As New Testament believers we have not only an invisible God, but an invisible altar and invisible (spiritual) sacrifices ... for instance, the "sacrifice of praise" (it's a sacrifice because it focuses the attention on God, not on ourselves).

Next week: Genesis 16