Unstoppable God
Faith of Our Fathers
May 29, 2022
Rev. Tim Sharpe
The sermon examines Abram's compromised faith in Genesis — driven by famine and fear to seek protection in Egypt and lie about Sarah — showing three dangers (the world, the flesh, and the devil), how God sovereignly rebukes and preserves his promise, and calling believers to trust God's promises amid institutional and personal failures with the assurance that nothing can separate us from Christ's love.
Summary
Moses introduces Abram as an example of faith, yet Genesis 12 reveals a flawed moment: facing famine Abram flees to Egypt and deceives others out of self-protection, exposing three dangers that mirror the enemies of the soul — the world, the flesh, and the devil. The passage raises hard questions about trusting God's promises when worldly powers, personal fear, and institutional sins (cited as parallels to contemporary abuses) tempt the people of God to compromise. God nevertheless works through the situation — even using Pharaoh to chastise Abram — to preserve his purposes, and the sermon closes with the assurance from Romans that no hardship or power can separate us from the love of Christ, calling the church to learn from Abram's mistake and cling to faithful trust.
Key Points
- Moses gives an idealized picture of Abram's faith, but Genesis 12 shows a real failure when Abram goes to Egypt during a famine.
- Abram's decision was driven by fear and self-protection rather than trust in God's promises.
- The text highlights three dangers corresponding to the world, the flesh, and the devil — seen as three acts in Abram's story.
- Abram's deception about Sarah illustrates how fear leads us to half-truths and moral compromise.
- God can and does work through messy situations and even through worldly powers (Pharaoh) to correct and preserve his plan.
- Contemporary parallels include corporate or institutional sins that the church must confront and reckon with rather than hide.
- The passage challenges the church: are worldly powers or internal failures obstacles to proclaiming Christ's kingdom?
- Assurance: like Romans 8 teaches, nothing can separate us from God's love — in all trials we are more than conquerors through Christ, so we must learn from Abram and choose faith over fear.
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