Genesis chapter 17 Young people have been noting some things about Christ that he is and He is God he is prophet. He's priest. He's king. He's man he is the way the truth and the life and noted he's the head of the church and We're going to know this morning and a final lesson for them and it happens to be, just happens to be, as the Lord worked this out. You're going to note a name of God in Genesis chapter 17, and it is El Shaddai, or the God Almighty, or the All-Sufficient God. So we're noting that Christ is all-sufficient. What do we mean by all-sufficient? When we say that something is sufficient, the word comes from the word suffice, which means it's enough. God is enough. And He is, as all sufficient, He's the only thing that we stand in need of. He suffices for all things, and in Him, not only every situation, is He apt or is He perfect for, But also, not just every kind of situation, but for every situation, He's the only thing that we need in reference unto that situation. So Genesis chapter 17, and let's read verse 1. Verse 1, it says, And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God. walk before Me, and be thou perfect. and I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.' And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee. Thou shalt be a father of many nations, neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, thy seed after thee, and their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. and I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God." We'll stop reading there. Here we find that the Lord God, who is enough, tells Abraham that I'm enough for you. And he comes to Abraham and he reveals himself in this way, that I am enough, I am sufficient for you. Now if you remember, if you turn back to Genesis chapter 12, Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 and 2, some years ago, the Bible tells us that God spoke unto Abraham. Chapter 12, verse 1, it says, Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. So, the same language as we read in our text. God told him this. He said, this is what I'm going to do. He made a promise unto him. You'll find here that the Bible tells us, if you look down into verse 4, it says, So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him, and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. in chapter 17 in verse 1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, so twenty-four years have gone by since God made that promise, hadn't they? And some of you here aren't even twenty-four years old. Some haven't been saved for twenty-four years. And some haven't served the Lord for twenty-four years. Some haven't been members of the Lord's church for 24 years. But he is sufficient. Because God said, I will do this thing, he will do it. And you look down through these chapters, if you look in Genesis chapter 13, Genesis 13 and verse 6, It says, And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. You see, the Lord God had done a great blessing upon Abram. He came out of the land of Ur of Chaldees with his wife, and he had a little bit of substance, and now the land couldn't hold him and his nephew Lot. Look over in chapter 15. Chapter 15. We find here that God speaks to him. He says in verse 5, And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. So this was the promise that God gave to Abraham. Now we know, as you read and study the life of Abraham, we find that Abram, he had some stumbles, if you would. And he was getting old, and Sarah was getting old, and still they had no child. Verse 1 of chapter 16. Now Sarah, Abram's wife, bared him no children. And she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold, now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee, go in unto my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And you know the story. You know how that through the disobedience, God had told him. He said, I'm going to give you a seed. It's going to be through Sarah. They hadn't had a child in a while. Period. At all. Years had gone by. They had wandered for some time. The Bible tells us in these verses that they had wandered for some time. They had gone down into Egypt. There were different things that took place. Still no child. The faith that was counted for righteousness was beginning to be a little dim. They began to lapse. They began to question the promise of God. Have you ever done that? Have you ever known what God said? Have you ever looked at what God promised and yet we question the Lord? We say, well, He's not doing it, so I better take matters into my own hands. Well, He is sufficient. He's the all-sufficient God. So they took matters into their own hands, they adopted the fleshly idea, and she said, well here's my handmaid, you go in and I'll get children by Him. And I can't find where God ever commanded that. Can't find where God said, if you aren't having children, then you go over here and you sleep with your wife's helper, and then you can have children. I can't find that anywhere in Scriptures. And so this is what they did, they adopted a fleshly idea, and we often adopt fleshly ideas, don't we? God's not doing what we think He ought to do, or sometimes He's not doing what He said He would do in the time frame that we think He ought to do it in. And so we adopt our own ideas and thoughts of what we want to try to accomplish things. You know, the results of this was the religion of Islam today. So never think that one act of disobedience isn't going to do any harm. An entire false religion that is bent on destroying everybody was birthed this day. We find that the Scriptures tell us that the Lord comes and He speaks unto Abraham after all of this, And he says in verse 1, And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me, and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. So the name again that's used here is, I am the All-Sufficient, I am the Almighty. And the word here is the El Shaddai. El from the Elohim, meaning the Strong One, the Covenant-Keeping God. And then Shadd, meaning comes from Shaddai, comes from the root word Shadd. meaning the breasted one, which as we know, and you know as well, that's where all the sufficiency that a newborn baby needs, it's all in the mother's breast. The things that are found there when a baby is placed, what do they do with the child as soon as it's born? Well, they flop it right on the mother's breast. There's the physical touch that's needed, there's the care and the concern and the comfort, the safety and security, and as well, nourishment. We found out, as anybody can, if you look up concerning breastfeeding, you'll find there's antibodies, there's pain reducers, fever reducers, all contained in the mother's milk. It is all sufficient. Everything that that child needs is right there in the breast of its mother. And God, when He says unto Abraham, He says, I am the El Shaddai, I am the all-sufficient. Everything you stand in need of, Abraham, is right here in me. And so this is the name that God revealed here. In fact, I was reading some notes I had. This name was used prior to Exodus chapter 6. This name was greatly used. and then there was a focal point on Jehovah after Exodus chapter 6, time-wise, there was a focal point on Jehovah, the name of Jehovah, as the covenant relationship with Israel. But you'll find that in the book of Job, the name El Shaddai is used frequently throughout the book of Job. This name here speaks again to us that everything that we stand in need of is in the Lord God, Jesus Christ, in the Father, in the Son, in the Holy Spirit. If you look over, if you would, here in our Job chapter 23, if you would. Job chapter 23. Now we need to remember that God's ways are best. His ways are best. Doesn't matter what way it is, His ways are best. From the time that God began to create this world and He had ways pertaining to things. His way of, and just think about it, His way of marriage is best. His way of worship is best. His way of raising a family is best. His way of salvation is best. His way of being a spouse is best. His way of being a church member is best. His way of supporting the Lord's work is best. I mean, you think about it today and all the plans and programs that men, women, boys, and girls have come up with is not sufficient, but His is. In Job 23 and verse 10 it says, But He knoweth the way that I take, when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Notice how the Scripture says, He knoweth the way that I take. When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Even His trials, the testings that God puts us through, they're best because when we come out of them, we're going to come forth as gold. He told the church in Laodicea, He said, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in a fire. They needed some testings. They needed some trials so that they might come forth as gold. Now we find here, and I'd like you to notice, that as God spoke unto Abraham, He comes to him and Ishmael had been born. This was again, this was man's best work just like lost sinners when they try to offer God something in order to be saved. Say, look, I'm a good person. I listen to my parents. I do well in school. I'm not that mean to my siblings. You know, I eat my fruits and vegetables and I try to do the very best I can. And I'm not as bad as that person over there. And God comes to Abraham and He says, listen, Ishmael is nothing to me. Because I'm the all-sufficient one. I am the one that is able to do what I said I would do. He says of Abraham, I told you I was going to give you a son through Sarah, and it's going to happen. Sure, 24 years have passed, and you know, God will often allow man to reach his extremity so that God can do what we would say is impossible. You know, as the Bible says, is anything too hard for the Lord? Are not all things possible with God? And so, so often we reach our extremity and we stop trying and the Lord works in and through us. We need to remember that God, He is sufficient enough for all things. He is not bound by the laws of nature. He can make things happen that are contrary to the laws of nature. Here He took an individual who was well past the years of childbearing, and the Bible tells us that she came forth and bore a child. The Bible tells us in another passage of Scripture that a virgin conceived a son, and his name was Emmanuel, or God with us. and that that was the Lord Jesus Christ. That the Lord tells us that He is enough to accomplish all that He said in His Word. He is able to subdue all things unto Himself. We have example after example after example in Scriptures of the insufficiency of man and the sufficiency of Christ. The insufficiency of man, you remember, you have there where Abram and Ishmael. We have as well as you go further into the scriptures where Moses understood that he was to be a deliverer and so he tried to deliver the people of God on his own and he couldn't do it. In fact, Israel even rejected him. And so he went away for a number of years until the Lord spoke to him in the burning bush and then sent him back to Egypt. Time and again, we can find in Scriptures where man tried to do things, even things that God said they were to do, but they tried to do them in their own ability and they failed. Because the sufficiency is of the Lord. This name teaches us that we are absolutely holy, not just a little bit, not just when times get tough or when things get rough, but we are wholly dependent upon the Lord. Now let's notice here that He is sufficient for salvation. If you turn over in the Scriptures to John, the Gospel of John, chapter 14, and we could read a number of Scriptures. We want to read here in John chapter 14, and notice verse 6, that He is enough for salvation. You know, everywhere we go, we're told one thing or another about salvation. Well, there's only one way. And this way is sufficient. It comes from the Lord. It's His plan. He purposed it. He brings it to pass. And the Bible tells us in John 14 and verse 6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. You see, Christ is sufficient in order for you to come unto the Father. Augustus Toplady wrote the words of that hymn. He said, Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. There is nothing that you can do in order for you to suffice or add to the sufficiency of the Lord. He is enough to save His people. His blood is sufficient. His sacrifice at Calvary is sufficient. His righteousness is sufficient, so that we don't have to add anything to it, nor take away from it. We find as well, that He's not only sufficient enough for salvation, but He is sufficient enough to satisfy His own people. Solomon said, whom have I in heaven but thee. And you know, that's a tremendous statement. You look down through the Scriptures, and you can see all the things that people have tried to satisfy themselves with. Look over in the 17th Psalm. So often, you can read, and I think that the preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes does a tremendous job with this. There's a lot of things that people have tried to satisfy themselves with. And you know, they got to the end of it, and they weren't satisfied. You know, some folks, if I can get to this place in my career, I'll be satisfied. If I make this amount of money, I'll be satisfied. If I just get this job, I'll be satisfied. If I can have this house, and this car, and this portfolio, and this retirement, and if we can do this with what we want to do, I'll be satisfied. I tell you, nothing's going to satisfy. You know who satisfies? The Lord God. The El Shaddai. Because He is enough. David wrote in the 17th Psalm in verse 15, As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. Now notice, this is when a child of God is going to be satisfied. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. He's referring here when we are fully and completely like unto the Lord. That's when we'll be satisfied. Some people, well, I'm not satisfied with this part of my life, I'm not satisfied with this part of my service unto the Lord, I'm not satisfied with this, and we really shouldn't be. Because we don't serve the Lord as best as we could. And the Scripture tells us, as David said, I'm not going to be satisfied, or I shall, or I will be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. When I'm like the Lord, that'll be sufficient. In the meantime, we're to strive to be like Him. Because He is the all-sufficient. He is enough. When I give like Christ gave, When I adore God like Christ adored, when I live as Christ lived, that'll be enough. And the only way that I'll be able to do that is by relying on Him and Him alone. Because He's enough. So many have tried and come short because they're relying on the arm of the flesh. We're trying to do spiritual things with physical or material or carnal means. No more than a church can serve God with carnal means can we serve the Lord as individuals with carnal means. I've said this before and it's true. We could adulterate ourselves as Judah and Israel did. We could get a big crowd quite easily. It's not difficult. but we wouldn't be serving the Lord, would we? I mean, we could change the way in which we do things, and we could tell people to pray a prayer, or because they don't understand repentance and faith, which are spiritual things, and carnal people do not understand spiritual things, we could then tell them and say, well, since you don't understand this, just ask God to come into your heart. Open your heart to Him and it'll be okay. You cannot substitute What the Bible says for something else. Because what the Bible says, God's way of salvation, His way of living, it's sufficient for us. Look over in Romans 8, verse 32. Romans 8, verse 32. There's not a person here, saved by the grace of God, who does not sin. But there's not a person here who is saved by the grace of God that God is not sufficient enough to keep you saved. He not only saves us, but He keeps us saved. He's sufficient for that. You know, there's different things you can lose in this lifetime. You can lose titles, you can lose different things. You can lose a prominent place in society. You can even lose spiritual rewards, the Bible tells us. But you know, you can't lose your salvation, can you? Because He is enough, He is sufficient. Romans 8 and verse 32, He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. It is God who has pronounced you to be free from the penalty of sin. And that's enough, isn't it? So many folks today, they want to see a sign. I read a thing, this lady, she wanted to know that God was working in her life. Well, if you're saved, He is working in your life. His Word says so. She wanted to know not only God working in her life, but she looked around at all the things that were happening today. She just wanted to know that God was still working upon the earth and doing things. All you had to do was read the Bible and take what His Word says. She woke up the next morning and there on the beach where she was staying at some resort, there happened to be a driftwood and it came on shore in the shape of a cross and that's how she knew God was still working. And you know, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, doesn't it? So many times we want signs, don't we? I mean, we're like Naaman, who Naaman was told to go wash in a river. And he said, are you kidding me? I thought the prophet would come and, you know, he'd wave his hands and, you know, I don't know if he was expecting bolts of lightning and thunder or some great and mighty thing to take place. But if you're expecting that to happen in order for God to manifest what He wants you to do, it's not going to happen. And quite frankly, if it did, I'd be concerned that Satan's leading you down the wrong road. His Word is enough, it is sufficient, to guide you and me, His church, and our homes, and us as individuals, through this life. It's sufficient. We don't need signs. We don't need feelings. We don't need a warm feeling in our stomachs. We need to do and follow what His Word says. There's going to be trials. He told us they were going to happen. And the absence of trials is not what God said we would have. But His Word is sufficient to guide us through life and those trials. Because He is sufficient. One day the Lord is going to cause us, those who have departed, He's going to cause them to rise out of the graves. We who are alive, He's going to change us. In a moment, a twinkling of an eye. Some say, how do you know this is going to take place? Because He is all sufficient. Just as He told Abram, I'm going to give you a son from Sarah. We can rest assured that one day He's going to come for us. He's going to fulfill what He said He would do. And He's going to take us home to be with Him. He is all-sufficient. And so we need to not rely upon ourselves or what we think, but we need to rely upon Him and what He says. Because He is the El Shaddai, the all-sufficient God. We'll have an intermission until 11 o'clock.