GTCOTR/ss111002
Genesis 14
The Story Of Abraham And His Servant Warriors
* Abraham was about 84 or 85 years old, (dies @175), about a year or so before Ishmael was born: approximately 2033 years AM or close to 2100 BC or around 4100 years ago give or take 100 or so years.
* God blessed Abraham during the past 9 or 10 years so that he has many servants and livestock … too much for the land to feed
* Lot and Abraham have parted company … Lot chose to dwell near Sodom in the fertile plains of the Jordan & its wealthy cities
* Abraham remained in the sparse land of Canaan living in tents
* A battle broke out involving the King of Sodom and 8 other kings
* Sodom & Gomorrah lost and the victors took their people and possessions as slaves & spoil, including Lot, his family & their goods
* One who had escaped came and informed Abraham of the loss
* Abraham had already made provision for just such an event
> Abraham had already amassed weapons of warfare
> Abraham had already trained warriors for battle
> Abraham armed 318 of these trained & trusted servants
* Abraham led these shepherd-warriors in pursuit of the victor kings & their battle hardened, well seasoned and experienced armies
> Abraham caught up with them
^ Josephus says it was the 5th night after Abraham had first heard of Lot’s capture and enslavement
^ Abraham’s strategy: attack at night by surprise from all directions at once, slaughter the enemy before they can muster a defense, then pursue their coward deserters and slay them in their retreat. Pursue all the way into Syria, up to the capital if necessary
> Abraham won a great victory
> Abraham recovered all the people and their possessions
> Abraham returned with the spoil, stopping only to give tithes of all he had recovered to the Priest of God, Melchizedek …
> The rest of the goods he returned to the Kings & people
* Abraham would take nothing for himself saying:
“I swore to God that I would not take a thread or even a shoe lace so that no man will ever be able to say they made Abraham rich”
Key Scripture: Genesis 14:14
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
Born In The House
Not bored in the house … not just visitor, a stranger or a guest
Jesus needs people born in the house … what house?
The House of God … The Local New Testament Church!
Matthew 28 (NIV) The Local Church has been given the strategy to see people born into the house & birthed in the vision of that house
18. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We call this the great commission … Commissioned to do what?
Make Disciples!
The emphasis of this scripture is not on the command to go, but rather the command to make disciples … to train servant-warriors.
We see this command carried out by the Local Church in Jerusalem and then in Antioch and since through local churches all around the world. Without making disciples, those born into the house … die.
The best and most efficient discipleship program is the Local Church in action (Jesus discipled the future church: where He went, did …)
* Not only is this so … but also:
The result of any efficient discipleship is a Local Church.
Matthew 16:18 Upon this rock I will build My church … He Did!
Those born in the house (disciples) became the house (the church).
The number of times Disciple(s) or Church is mentioned in the KJV
New Testament Disciple(s) Church
Gospels 226 3
Acts 29 22
Epistles 0 71
Revelation 0 19
Why? Because the disciples became the church in action & eternity.
The church is the Bride of Christ, not just the girlfriend of Jesus.
What’s the difference: A Committed Relationship
You marry the bride …
You just date the girlfriend!
Ephesians 5:25 Jesus died for the church!
Revelation 2:1 To the angel of the church of Ephesus
Revelation 2:8 To the angel of the church in Smyrna
Revelation 2:12 To the angel of the church in Pergamos
Revelation 2:18 To the angel of the church in Thyatira
Revelation 3:1 To the angel of the church in Sardis
Revelation 3:7 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia
Revelation 3:14 To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
The years gone by are the best proof that we at COTR have a great discipleship program in place … it is Our Local Church in action … involvement in our church will disciple people and turn them into servant warriors, born in the house, married to the vision, armed, trained, ready for next battle while tending the flock of their Lord.
Look at the bible pattern for getting people ready to become the church: In Acts 2:42, 3000 had just been saved. Three tangible changes took place in their lives that wrote the rest of the bible.
Acts 2:42 They continued steadfastly
The Apostles Doctrine (attending teachings)
Fellowship (Christian Friends & Common Encounters)
Breaking of Bread (Memorializing The Lord’s Death)
Prayers (both individual and corporate)
In Other Words They were fully committed to:
1. Prayer
2. Searching the Word of God for answers to life’s daily questions and applying those answers to life
3. Making time in their busy schedules for Church and Christian friends.
Every Christian Should Become A Pattern For Others To Follow
In Making a living
Making a life
Making a difference
We must heed the call and make disciples so that the church can be strong and prepared to go forward in the day of battle, armed, trained and victorious! Married to the vision, betrothed to the Lord.
If you will be a disciple today
You will become the church of tomorrow:
Trained, Armed and Victorious!
I ask you to commit to a marriage relationship with Jesus Christ and become a servant-warrior of the local church
Here is what it will take:
1. A commitment to prayer.
2. A commitment to seek answers from the Word of God and apply them to your life.
3. A commitment to spend priority time with Christian friends and your Church family. (more than a guest, visitor or spectator - make this house yours, become one born in the house, responsible for the vision, committed to the purpose, armed and ready for battle.)
