4 Stupid Things Believers Do How could I

4 Stupid Things Believers Do “How could I be so stupid? ” Genesis 16: 1 -4

We Do Stupid things • Even our heroes do stupid things – Tiger Woods; John Edwards • Teachers, preachers, policemen, athletes • ALL of us sometimes do stupid things • Abraham and Sarah did 4 stupid things • We sometimes make the same mistakes.

We Let Fleshly Desires Overrule Our Good Sense Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her. " Gen 16: 1 -2 (NKJV) • 1

We Let Fleshly Desires Overrule Our Good Sense Our wishes get in the way of our good sense I want it – no matter what Sarah wanted a child! In our disappointment or frustration we say, God will understand. • Or we say, I don’t care what God thinks, this is what I want. • Abraham and Sarah made plans from the flesh, not from God. • •

We Listen to those who are unfamiliar with the Bible • And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. Genesis 16: 2 b-4 a (NKJV)

We Listen to those who are unfamiliar with the Bible • We often go to (and heed) the wrong sources • Do you go to: – Banker for legal advice – Teacher for medical problems – Beauty shop (or barber shop) for marital issues – Preacher for car trouble • We seek advice from all the WRONG sources • Why ask a non-Christian how to live your life?

We Blame Others for Problems We Bring on Ourselves • And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. Genesis 16: 4 b (NKJV)

We Blame Others for Problems We Bring on Ourselves • Everything that happens to me is someone else’s fault • Sarah now “despised” Hagar • She is – younger, can have children, afraid of losing Abraham

We Blame Others for Problems We Bring on Ourselves Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7: 5 (NKJV) 12 Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. " Genesis 3: 12 (NKJV) • 5 •

We Shirk Responsibility for the Sake of Keeping Peace So Abram said to Sarai, "Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please. " And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. Genesis 16: 6 (NKJV) • 6

We Shirk Responsibility for the Sake of Keeping Peace • Abraham is the head – patriarch – leader – He should take the lead • He should have made the decision • He shirked that duty • We get upset over the small things – Lose the TV remote – Misplace a tool

We Shirk Responsibility for the Sake of Keeping Peace • But on important matters – we let it slide for the sake of not causing trouble • Book – Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff - Subtitle: It’s ALL small stuff • We must learn what is “small stuff” vs. important

Conclusion: • From this text in Genesis 16 we learn: – Abraham and Sarah were not perfect – They did some stupid things • We must learn from their mistakes • Have you done stupid things in your life? • Have they taken you away from God?