OLD HABITS ARE HARD TO BREAK

TEXT: GENESIS 20:1-18

INTRODUCTION

Why is it hard to teach old dogs new tricks? Because old dogs go back to old habits. (2 Peter 2:22)

Why old habits?

• Recessive memory
• Reinforces our values, attitudes and beliefs.
• The old way worked
• We don’t want to change

Abraham’s half-truth worked several times before maybe Abraham thought. Abimelech was a good neighbour, he won’t have sex with Sarah, or he thought God will stop him. Years earlier Abram and Sarah agreed on this diversion to save their lives, old habits came back to haunt them. This was a terrible sin because the Messiah was to come through Abraham seed.

God talked to king Abimelech in a dream “you will die and your people will die because of the woman you took from Abraham, she is his wife.”

God stopped Abimelech, “give her back to Abraham, he is a prophet and will pray for you and you won’t die. If not you and all yours will die.” (20:1-6)

Let us learn:-

I.  GOD INTERVENES

1. Trading relatives was a custom, but God calls it sin.

• it is sin against God to use people as if they are things (V.6)
• “Everyone is doing it” does not make it right.

2. Why did God intervene?

• To stop sin
• To preserve the Messianic line
• To save an innocent man.
• To deal with an old sinful habit in Abraham

3. How did God judge?

• He stopped the process of impregnation.
• Stillbirths
• Stop births so the tribe wouldn’t die off.
• Planned to kill immediately

4. God is not impressed with our rationalizations and devices.
5. God knows our thoughts, words and plans that deal with sex.
6. God plans to use the spiritual gift (prophesy), even though the person’s sin blocked his usefulness. God gifts are without repentance.
7. Abraham is confronted about his sin, to get back on praying ground. (Gen 20:7-12)
8. It is a double shame for an unsaved person to point out your sin.
9. We are not responsible for other people’s motives “I thought you did not fear God.” (V.11)

II.  SARAH RESTORED TO ABRAHAM

4. Abimelech gave gifts to appease Abraham (V.14)
5. God used the incident to give Abraham a place in the Promised Land. “See…dwell where it pleases you.” (V.15)
6. The believer must pray for the non-believer “Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech (V.17).

III.  DEALING WITH OLD SINFUL HABITS

1. Treat them as dead “our old man was crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be done away with” (Romans 6:6)
2. Don’t experiment with sin one more time
3. Let the power of God help you “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37)
4. Yield your whole life to God “yield your physical members of your body to God as instruments to do right things and yield your whole body to God as one who is alive from the dead” (Rom 6:13)
5. Strength to overcome a habit is in Christ (Galatian 2:20)

CONCLUSION

• If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal savior – do it now.
• Honesty and truthfulness is the best habit.
• Never presume on your own weaknesses.
• Never rely on your own crutches, Sarah should not have cooperated.
• Never lean on your own understanding.