When Mess Is Handed Down

Families Are Messy
When Mess Is Handed Down

I. Introduction

A. Genesis 12:10-20 (NLT) ¹⁰At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. ¹¹As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. ¹²When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ ¹³So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.” ¹⁴And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of Sarai’s beauty. ¹⁵When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. ¹⁶Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. ¹⁷But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. ¹⁸So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? ¹⁹Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!” ²⁰Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

B. The doesn’t the past!

C. Genesis 12:10 (NLT) At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.

D. Genesis 12:16 (NLT) Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

E. Genesis 12:17 (NLT) But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

F. Genesis 12:19 (NLT) “Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!”

G. Abraham was plagued by !

1. Our inability to is always at the root of our own cutting corners!

H. Abraham’s sin doesn’t stay in his !

I. Genesis 26:1, 7-9 (NLT) ¹A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. ⁷When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.” ⁸But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah. ⁹Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” “Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.

J. Exodus 20:4-6 (NLT) ⁴“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

K. Our parents’ sins have for !

L. Our parents’ sins for us!

M. Exodus 20:5b (NLT) “I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”

N. Exodus 20:6 (NLT) “But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

O. Ezekiel 18:1-2 (NLT) ¹Then another message came to me from the LORD: ²“Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste?’”

1. Ezekiel is telling us that can break the chains of our family!

P. Ezekiel 18:20 (NLT) “The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.”

1. You can break the chain in your own !

Q. Ezekiel 18:21-23 (NLT) ²¹“But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die.  ²²All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.  ²³Do you think that I like to see wicked people die?” says the Sovereign LORD. “Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.”

1. Nobody changes until they become aware of their to .

2. Change begins by getting with .

3. “God, I want this to stop with me.”

II. Conclusion