“Recognizing the Rightful Son: Isaac, Yeshua, and the Remnant Who Still Discern the Promise”

Cheyei Sarah | חיי שרה | "Sarah's Life"                           11.15.25

Torah: Genesis 23:1 – 25:18

Prophets: 1 Kings 1:1-31

Brit Hadasha: Matthew 2:1-23, 27:3-10; Luke 9:57-62; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

Praise Reports: Snap benefits processed this morning for Kentucky.

Who else just wants to give God thanks today for what He has done for you?

Prayer Requests: continued prayers for the lost.

·       Kip,  my mom, Steve’s daughter, Wendy

·       Dylan

·       Peabody

·       Families to be reconciled:  Steve with Vicki, Ken with Zachariah, and all Ken’s children.

·       Pat – healing, rotator cuff surgery

·       Jay (Diane’s brother) healing, will not die of cancer

·       Bill – healed of alpha gal, and all healing

·       Steve – all healing

·       Kathy – no pain

·       Kathy’s brother no parasites, no Parkinson’s (Larry Springdale)Kathy’s sister – no cholesterol issues

·       Pray that Ken & Kathy get in their house before it gets much colder

·       NYC and our country; pray for an awakening to Yah and an awakening to the lies.

·       Christian persecution in Nigeria, Sudan & Ethiopia

·       Raylee, daughter of Chad & Misty (12-13 year old daughter, facing heart failure, 6^th open heart surgery)

 Billy Gardner

Candy Hammer

Logos Church

Evan Hayes

Just briefly before I get started today, I want to thank you all for praying for me.  I know it’s no secret that since the fall feasts, that I’ve been in a bit of spiritual battle.  Maybe longer than that if we are being really honest.  But more accurately stated, perhaps I’ve been more battle fatigued then anything since the Fall Feasts. 

As I write this, I remember getting all cocky around the time that Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September.   I knew the devil was mad and on the loose, and I prayed to God to let me do more.  I prayed, “Hineni, Send me, Lord.”  I wasn’t going to be afraid.  I wasn’t going to shut my mouth.  And even to this day, my online banner says that I hope the demons rejoice when I die too.  I honestly threw a bit of a gauntlet down toward the devil.  And I guess he picked it up.

My work load has completely consumed me.  What was once just long hours has become a full 6 days a week.  For the first time in nearly 15 years I didn’t deer hunt, despite the largest buck I’ve ever seen feeding under my deer stand this year.   I closed my bakery stand. I haven’t really even seen my family in the last couple months.  And I haven’t been in the word or prayed as much as I was previously.  The distractions at work, (which thankfully I love my job), but lots of family drama with daughter in laws, and Dylan moving, and missing ¾ grandbabies, and throw in perimenopause for good measure, has baked me into a little fruit cake the last two weeks.  A nutty fruitcake.

But after lots of prayer this Sabbath, I am finally hearing back from God - He’s been pretty quiet lately.  But He reminded me of several things. For one, I kinda asked for this, and I failed.  I took the bait.  I got busy.  And everything will suffer when you don’t keep Him first.  Even though I did a really good job convincing myself I still had God at the top.  The last few weeks my heart had shifted from my ‘relationship’ with Him and doing Sabbath and reading and studying and praying because I was excited to and wanted to… it had moved to I had to… and that’s when I had my little breakdown last Sabbath. 

I was out of alignment.  Not intentionally. But that almost made it worse.  It wasn’t like I was out rebelling.  I was just tired. And the battlefield in my mind was raging.  Every single day, I was fighting fear of men (fear of what people think/feel), fear of bringing shame to God’s name, fear of being ineffective and fruitless.  Just a lot of fear and a lot of battle.

But then…….  I remembered I had to go back to basics.  The word says in John 12 “³² And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  Did that only mean crucified, or does it mean just what it says?  Maybe both.  Because Yeshua also said when talking to Peter in Matthew 16…He said “I will build my church”.  We just have to be willing vessels.  It is Yeshua who will do the building in His time.

And then we went a step further… And I want to share this with you, in case this is something you’re struggling with too.  But from man’s perspective, if you look at our church, we have shrunk in regular attendance over the last 8 months.  From man’s perspective, we are failing, we are ineffective.  But after this weekend, I no longer see it that way. 

If anything, it proves our calling.  We don’t bow to anything outside of scripture.  We don’t sugar coat the gospel to appease itchy ears.  We don’t speak to make flesh feel good.  We speak to crucify our flesh and be living sacrifices.

The prophets never had large audiences.  And poor Noah preached 120 years and never had a single convert that we know about outside his family.  Jeremiah saw an entire nation reject his message.  And even Jesus had to teach us how to shake the dust off our feet, and to expect the world to reject us.

The resistance I am feeling is because we have potential.  Potential only through the willingness of our obedience to our calling, through the power of Yahweh.  And Yahweh working authentically through an undiluted church is different, and I’m not sure that the devil knows what to do with us. 

So for now… we have lost members.  But we loved them through it.  We still love them. And we still invite them back with open arms.  But we have staked our flag in the ground for truth, and our guiding principles to refuse manipulation and refusal to elevate any petty doctrine of men over the heart of the gospel. 

The fruit of that will be one of two things.  It will draw the hungry or it will drive away the unstable. The word tells us that it is called sifting, and it’s a biblical thing. 

“They went out from us because they were not of us.” — 1 John 2:19

We aren’t exactly shrinking.  We are being purified. We are being pruned.  We are being prepared.

So now what…  I feel like our directions are still the same.  We get back to the basics.

We lift up Yeshua.  We preach about the power of forgiveness, the blood, repentance, restoration.  But before we can even do that, we go back to our name.  This is the House of Prayer.  

What did the disciples do after Yeshua ascended?  They returned to Jerusalem, and in Acts 1:14 we read, “¹⁴ These all continued with one accord in prayer”

Before they did any evangelism or healings, they went in unity to prayer.  In fact, prayer pretty much dominates the book of Acts.  There are at least 20 times where they’re praying in this book. 

How do we pray?

Matthew 6

⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. ⁷ And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

⁸ “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. ⁹ In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.¹⁰ Your kingdom come.Your will be doneOn earth as it is in heaven.¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.¹² And forgive us our debts,As we forgive our debtors.¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,But deliver us from the evil one.For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

¹⁴ “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

And right there we have the spiritual blueprint we need.  Obviously, I started back in verse 6, where most people wouldn’t.  But look at what it says, and just what that has meant for me lately.  Go into your room, a private place, a place set apart for intimacy. Without distraction. 

Don’t take your phone.  Don’t pray in front of your dinging computer.  Don’t pray with one minute until your next meeting only to rush it and not stop to listen to see if God speaks.  No distractions.  God is first.  God is your only focus.  And surrender that time to Him.  A sweet conversation with no hidden motives.  No audience.  No performance.  Just intimacy.

And shut the door. – This is a private moment.  God would never be intimate with His bride in public.  You are his treasure. And did you catch that… He is already there waiting for you.  It doesn’t say he will hear you from heaven.  It says he is already there. 

We aren’t witches or demons.  We don’t summon our God.  He is our Father & King, and He is already there waiting for us. 

And the reward?  It’s God himself.  The fruit of this relationship in the secret place will have fruit overflowing into the public place.  The joy on our faces, the peace in our lives, our character, our discernment, all those fruits won’t be able to be hidden.

The vain repetition  - let’s talk about that.  Not only do we need to set ourselves apart from other false religions who believed their gods were manipulated by or responded better to longer repetitive prayers, but we have to remember that the power of prayer doesn’t come from us.  The order of our words, or the pronunciation of our words….with a pure heart, the order or language is irrelevant.  We are praying, not making magic or casting spells.  This is a conversation with our Father.  He doesn’t want a performance, just merely our presence.

He also knows the things we need before we even ask Him.  So, we don’t have to go into this like it’s a sales pitch. Not at all.  He already knows what we need, He was just waiting for us silly sheep to figure out to go to the Shepherd. It’s about stopping our efforts to do it all on our own.  It’s about surrendering our efforts and our wills and our agendas to align with His.

So why would we pray to him as our Father, and not creator or bridegroom?  I believe it’s because He wants us to know our identity when we come in.  When we come into the throne room, we aren’t arriving as some uninvited servant, or just a citizen.  We are walking to our Dad’s house.  We are walking into His presence as his beloved, his heir, his family. But we hallow His name.  Before all else, we bow.  We worship.  We recognize his honor and place of authority.  We aren’t approaching as a self-entitled brat. We worship Him and take off our pride.

We pray His will.. Your will be done….  We pray not to manipulate Him into what our flesh wants. No.  We pray to His will in the situation.  Because we trust Him.  We relinquish control and say Lord have your way.

We ask for daily bread.  We don’t say give us a year of bread…supply me with all my wants/ needs forever, all at once.  Of even metaphorically, give me all the knowledge and wisdom all in one download.  Not  at all.  We ask for it daily.  A little every day.  One step at a time. We ask for it daily doses that are easy to consume.  It’s simple.  Easy to handle. Not over complicated.  It builds trust.

If God gave you a lifetime of your needs and then went away.. how would you get to know Him?  How would you establish and grow your relationship with Him?  But if you see Him every day…. You show up hungry every day… and He shows up every day….and He feeds you every day… you begin to know you can count on Him.

Forgive us, as we forgive. Ugh.. why that added little part?  This is actually the only part of the prayer that Jesus explains afterwards.  Unforgiveness can block forgiveness from God.  Bitterness defiles prayer. And the forgiven must forgive.

 Lead us not into temptation.  We remember our role as the sheep.  He leads.  We follow. Our flesh is weak.  We are fallible.  We are dependent on following Him.  We cannot trust our hearts or our flesh, but we must lean on wisdom and direction from Him.

But deliver us from the evil one.  A reminder that this is a spiritual battle.  The reality  is that there is an enemy and he wants your soul.  And we cannot deliver ourselves.  The Lord is our deliverer.

For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory. The bookends of praise.  We start and end with worship.  We acknowledge His authority (kingdom).  His strength (power).  His beauty (glory). His eternity (forever). 

As I was thinking and praying about this, I was still concerned how over the last couple of weeks I could have so easily convinced myself that God was still my primary focus and that I wasn’t putting anything else before him.   And I realized that it was that my faith was still noisy.  There were still podcasts, youtube videos, my worship music, etc.  All these things “about” God that I was listening to, but I wasn’t listening to God himself.

And I can’t help but think this may be an even greater problem in the body at large.  As believers, we consume spiritual content, but how many of us actually sit at His feet?

The body of the American church would look and act differently if they directly listened to the Lord.  But no different today  than in ancient times.  They want a mediator.  They want a king.  They want a preacher.   

   But the health of the church is not just up to the leader.  It is a responsibility of every single member of the body.  And it won’t matter how well we preach the truth, or keep sabbath or torah, or even how well we worship: if we have no prayer, we’ll be spiritually barren and never birth any fruit.

Without prayer, the knowledge and wisdom in our bibles are intellectual instead of relational.  The bibles become textbooks instead of love letters.  And our work here becomes duty instead of service. 

Getting back to basics means returning to our first love, rekindling that fire, rebuilding that intimacy.  And I don’t think He is asking us to do this because we necessarily failed.  But I believe the Lord will build on this if we work with Him to lay the right foundation. 

This morning we sang that song about firm foundations. “When everything around me is shaking, I've never been more glad, That I put my faith in Jesus, 'Cause He's never let me down. He's faithful through generations. So why would He fail now? He won't.”

A foundation isn’t decorative.  It’s load bearing.  Everything rests on it.  We stand or fall because of it. 

Matthew 7:  24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

And Christ is the chief cornerstone of our foundation.  (Eph 2:20, Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118, 1 Peter 2)

The chief cornerstone sets the alignment, ensures stability, and the building conforms to it.  The foundation and cornerstone don’t conform.  

I say all this to say… please continue to pray for me, for our church.  Please dig in to the word when you’re not here and not just when you’re preparing to come here.  I beg you to strengthen your relationship with Yeshua Jesus.   To dig in and join us and focus more on both sides of the book this year, and maybe even lean in a little more to the NT. 

I know all of that was a super long introduction, so I’ll try to keep the rest of it short.

But picking up in last week’s portion Vayera and moving into Chayei Sarah, and also considering the NT readings.  The overwhelming theme was patterns.

Patterns of promise. Patterns of hospitality. Patterns of recognition. Patterns of who sees God when He comes…and who misses Him completely.

Let’s go back for a minute to last week’s portion, Vayera, because God is continuing the same theme today.

The whole portion showcases hospitality — but not just the Southern kind we talk about. This is biblical hospitality — the hospitality that discerns heaven when it walks up your driveway.

Look at Abraham. Genesis says:  “He was sitting at the door of his tent in the heat of the day…”

He’s in pain. He’s recovering from circumcision. It’s hot. He has every excuse to stay seated. But Scripture says:  “When he SAW them… he RAN.”

Abraham ran to serve God, even in pain. That’s the heart God is looking for.

He didn’t wait for the angels to come to him. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t analyze. He didn’t debate doctrine. He moved. He said: “Let a little water be brought…”  “Let me wash your feet…”  “Let me bake you bread…”  “Let me kill the calf, tender and good…” 

This is enthusiastic, joyful, urgent hospitality. This isn’t duty — it’s delight.

Now compare Lot.

Lot, too, was sitting in the gate when the angels arrived. That tells us he had leadership… but not discernment.  Scripture says: “Lot rose to meet them.” He rose. Abraham ran.

Lot offered water…Abraham washed their feet.

Lot prepared a meal…Abraham gave his BEST — bread, curds, milk, a calf.

Lot protected the angels…Abraham honored them.

Same guests. Same opportunity. Different hearts.

God takes note of how we welcome Him. Hospitality is not about food. It’s about recognition. It’s about humility. It’s about discerning God’s presence.

Let’s move into Chayei Sarah.

We meet a young woman named Rebekah. And what is she doing? Hospitality.

Eleazar prays, “Lord, let the woman who waters my camels be the one You’ve chosen.”

Rebekah comes out, and Scripture records every movement: “She RAN to the well.”  “She quickly drew water.” “She RAN back to the well again.”

She watered all ten camels — roughly 200–300 gallons of water. That’s between 80 and 100 trips with a jar. This wasn’t convenient. This wasn’t pretty. This wasn’t comfortable. But Rebekah did it with joy, speed, enthusiasm, and generosity.

And Eleazar — just like the magi later — watches in awe as God reveals the chosen one.

Rebekah’s hospitality is so extravagant, so selfless, so beyond expectation…that Eleazar knows immediately: “This is the woman God has chosen.”  Hospitality revealed her calling.

In Vayera — Abraham discerned the divine visitors. In Chayei Sarah — Rebekah’s hospitality confirms she is the chosen mother of the covenant line. In Matthew 2 — the magi worship Yeshua with gifts worthy of royalty.  Hospitality — true biblical hospitality — always reveals the rightful heir.  Hospitality is revelation-in-action.

It says:  I see you. I honor you. I recognize who you are. I will move for you. I will sacrifice for you. Abraham does it. Rebekah does it. The magi do it.

Lot does not. Herod does not. The religious leaders do not.  Hospitality — real hospitality — is a heart test.

Now let’s open Matthew 2.

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

These magi were not Jews. Not Torah-keepers. Not Sabbatarians. Not prophets. Not priests. But they had eyes to see.  They had enough light to start the journey…and God met them with more light along the way.

While Jerusalem slept…the magi traveled. While the priests quoted Scripture but didn’t move…the magi obeyed the revelation they had.  While Herod plotted violence…the magi offered worship. And when they found the Child…“They fell down and worshiped Him…”

That’s hospitality. That’s recognition. That’s discernment. That’s honoring the rightful Son.

Chayei Sarah contains a burning question: Who is the true heir? And Matthew 2 answers it again: Who is the true King?

Not Ishmael. Not Keturah’s sons. Not the Edomite Herod. Not Rome’s puppet rulers.Not the voices of religious complacency.

Only one carries the covenant. Only one fulfills prophecy. Only one is worthy of worship.

And God uses: A servant, a young woman, and foreign magi — to reveal the identity of the chosen son. Not the powerful. Not the educated. Not the religious elite. Only those with a heart of hospitality. Only those with ears to hear and feet willing to move.

God is asking us: Where is our hospitality? Not just with food and drink…but with humility… with worship…with obedience…with discernment…. With prayer.

Are we like Abraham — quick to move, quick to honor, quick to serve?

Are we like Rebekah — running to pour out water even when it costs us strength?

Are we like the magi — giving our treasures and bowing low?

Or are we like: Lot — showing polite hospitality but missing the divine moment?

Jerusalem — troubled by the coming King instead of rejoicing?

The priests — knowing the prophecy but refusing to move?

Herod — threatened by God’s authority instead of submitting to it?

Hospitality reveals your heart. Hospitality reveals your allegiance. Hospitality reveals whether you recognize the Son.

We are living in a day when there are many “Herods” sitting on thrones, trying to rule God’s people. There are many “Lots” offering half-hearted hospitality to heaven.  There are many “priests” quoting Scripture but refusing to obey it.

But God is raising up an Abraham remnant, a Rebekah generation, a magi movement —People who recognize the rightful Son. People who see His star. People who move toward the light. People who bow before the King in service and prayer. People who give their best. People who follow revelation. People who honor heaven even when the world mocks.

People who know: There is only ONE rightful King. There is only ONE promised Son. There is only ONE Messiah worthy of worship.

If you follow the light (The word is our lamp) God has given you…even if it feels small…

even if you don’t understand everything…even if others around you are troubled or apathetic… God will lead us. He will guide us. He will confirm His word. He will reveal His Son. And we will find ourselves standing exactly where the magi stood — right at the feet of King Yeshua…with exceedingly great joy.

Amen.