Message Notes

YOUTH WORSHIP SERVICE 21 August 2021

Call to Worship Pastor Charles Tan

Opening Prayer

Scripture Text: Genesis 21:1-21

Scripture Readers

Message: “Then God opened her eyes”

Speaker: Pastor Charles Tan

Closing Prayer

YOUTH WORSHIP SERVICE 21 August 2021

Scripture Text: Genesis 21:1-21

Message: “Then God opened her eyes” Pastor Charles Tan

INTRODUCTION

1. The end of the road

a) Hagar was the second wife of Abraham

b) She had a son in this marriage

c) She had lived in Abraham’s family all this while

i) Provided for

ii) Protected

d) It had now come to a sudden end

2. Whose fault?

a) Sarah played a role in her eviction

b) But Hagar was not free from blame either

i) She had despised Sarah Genesis 16:4
This was uncalled for

ii) She had not taught Ishmael well
He scoffed (laughed at) Isaac at his weaning party Genesis 21:9

c) Abraham was caught in a bind

i) He could not come up with a solution

ii) His heart was torn between Ishmael and Isaac

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW JOURNEY

1. Meagre provision

a) He gave a skin of water and some bread to Hagar and Ishmael

b) They had to leave the home they had lived in for all this while
Genesis 21:14

2. Despair in the wilderness of Beersheba

a) The water was used up

b) Hagar placed her son under a shrub

c) She distanced herself from Ishmael Genesis 21:16a

d) She said to herself

“Let me not see the death of the boy” Genesis 21:16b

e) She lifted her voice and wept Genesis 21:16c

DIVINE HELP

1. The Angel of God

a) Hagar had met Him before Genesis 16:7-13

b) He spoke to her again

c) Hagar seemed to have forgotten

i) Caught up with family problems

ii) Caught up with her present woes

d) A needed reminder

i) Worry

“What ails you?” Genesis 21:17a

ii) Fear

“Fear not” Genesis 21:17b

iii) God

“God has heard the voice of the lad” Genesis 21:17c

e) God had always been there
The question is whether we relate to Him

f) Fulfilling a mother’s role

i) “Arise, lift up the lad”

ii) “And hold him with your hand”

g) God’s promise to Hagar and Ishmael

“For I will make him a great nation” Genesis 21:18

i) Ishmael will not die

ii) He will become a nation

2. God opened her eyes

a) The well was always there

“And she saw a well of water” Genesis 21:19a

i) She could not see

ii) Her mind was on her problems

b) Doing the necessary things

i)Filling the skin with water

“And she went and filled
the skin with water” Genesis 21:19b

ii) Giving a drink of water to Ishmael

“And gave the lad a drink” Genesis 21:19c

3. God kept His promise

a) God’s presence

i) He gave protection

“So God was with the lad” Genesis 21:20a

ii) He gave provision

“And he grew and dwelt in the wilderness,
And became an archer” Genesis 21:20b

iii) Ishmael learned to fend for himself

iv) Archer- He was probably a hunter

b) Ishmael’s Future

i) Paran

“He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran” Genesis 21:21a

ii) Marriage

“His mother took a wife for him
from the land of Egypt” Genesis 21:21b

CONCLUSION

1. Problems in life

a) They will never cease

b) They can drive us to distraction!

c) Many of our problems are of our own making

2. Person of God

a) He has reached out to us before

b) But we may not have developed our faith-relationship with Him

c) Nevertheless, He reaches out to us again

i) Offering assistance

ii) Offering grace and mercy

3. Personal Response

a) How should we respond?

b) How much do we really want to respond to God?

c) The choice is ours!