September 25, 2022
The Choice Is Yours
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Generational Sin: Is it real? Is it inevitable? Can it be broken?
Exodus 20:4-6 NIV
"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Jeremiah 32:17-19 NIV
"Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are your purposes, and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve."
How much permanent damage can a parent do in their child’s life?
Genesis 24:1 NIV
"Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way."
Genesis 25:11 NIV
"After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi."
Genesis 26:1 NIV
"Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek, king of the Philistines in Gerar."
Genesis 12:10 NIV
"Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe."
Genesis 26:2-5 NIV
"The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants, I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father, Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees, and my instructions.'"
Genesis 26:6-7 NIV
"So Isaac stayed in Gerar. When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, 'She is my sister,' because he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife.' He thought, 'The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah because she is beautiful.'"
Generational Sin: The unhealthy patterns handed down to us by our parents.
How can I break the pattern?
1. Believe in Jesus because God is for you.
Genesis 26:12-13 NIV
"Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy."
1 Peter 1:18-21 MSG
"Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God."
2. Believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can overcome any temptation.
Galatians 5:16-17 NIV
"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want."
3. Make repentance and forgiveness part of your redemption story
House Rules:
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This is a safe place.
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We will move forward when you are OK again. As your leader… I’ll decide when you’re ready.
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There is more than enough grace in our home to overcome any of your bad moments and bad days.
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If you mess up… fess up.