16 Mar Links in the Chain of Faith
Genesis 22:32 Jesus said, “‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’”
- 3 generations here
- Genesis – blessing & cursing theme
Jonathan Edwards – prayed for 5 generations daily
=1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates.
Max Jukes – lived same time as Edwards studied by sociologist Richard Dugdale 1877 when it was discovered that 42 men in the NY Prison System descended from him
=7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol. Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely.
4 Kinds of Men
- First links – bad habits to undo, demonic opposition, family pressure
- Strong links – patriarchs w/a legacy
- Weak links – prodigals
- Broken links – reject faith, apostate, dishonor father & faith
Adam – first link
- Abel – strong link (first martyr)
- Cain – broken link (cursed murder)
- Seth – strong link (Jesus’ line Luke 3:38)
Noah – first link
- Ham – broken link (son Canaan cursed)
- Japheth – strong link
- Shem – strong link (Jesus’s line Luke 3:36)
Abraham – first link
- Ishmael – broken link (Hagar’s son, father of Arabs)
- Isaac – strong link (Sarah’s son, father of Jews)
-Grace’s family
-My extended family
-Our immediate family
Discussion & Prayer
- Which link are you in the chain?
- How can we pray for you?
