This transcript was auto-generated. 

A few years ago, someone came took me aside after a church service and asked if they could talk with me alone. I suspected it was something serious, so we sat down in a side room and began to talk. I soon discovered that what they really wanted to do was tell me about a sin they had committed. They weren’t trying to hide it, they weren’t trying to deny it, they readily admitted that they had committed this sin and how it was bothering them. So, I assured them that God was faithful and just to forgives sin and when we recognise it, and as believers we confessed it and trust in Christ for forgiveness. Then they said this to me, “Oh I know that God has forgiven me that's not the problem the problem. The problem is I've done this before many and I keep doing what I know is wrong over and over again.

It seemed to me in the issue wasn’t about forgiveness it was more about how to stop making the same mistakes over and over again. So, what do we do in that case when we do something we know is wrong and we do over and over again?

Let me ask you a question have you ever committed a sin? Of course we all have, but let me re-phrase that, have you ever committed the same sin over and over again.

Today I want us to do is look at a man who made the same massive mistake twice over and probably he is a helpful example of someone committing the same sin over and over again. I'm talking about none other than of all people Abraham. Today we begin to look at the next episode in the life of Abraham. Let’s pick up the text with the opening verses of Ch 20

Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

(Gen 20: 1-2)

Let me pause here for just a minute. What's going on here is simply this, Abraham has committed the same exact sin as is recorded in Genesis chapter 12 when they went down to Egypt. The problem was that knowing Pharaoh could kill Abraham and potentially take his attractive wife for his own, Abraham said look I got an idea when we get to Egypt just say you’re my sister. He's committed this sin before, and now and in this passage, we are told about how he starts journeying into the southern part of Palestine. There could have been all kinds of reasons he did this, like he was a herdsman, and he needed more pasture for his flocks. He could have been moving toward a better place for trade he was after all also a businessman. Some have even suggested that he wanted to just get far away from the scene of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Whatever the reason is it is not stated, but he moves into the Negev and in verse two he says again that Sarah is his sister . When they met Abimelech, by the way Abimelech is not a personal name it more like a title like pharaoh or King.  At any rate he's lying again about his wife again because he doesn't want somebody in such a high position of governmental authority to take his wife and put her in his harem and maybe even potentially kill him. So, for the second time he lies about who his wife really is and says she is my sister. Remember the Bible says very specifically she was a very attractive looking lady so Abraham is concerned again and Abraham of all people strategies to save his own skin but in a way that leaves the real possibly of getting his wife into serious trouble. 

We saw how it worked out last time he tried this trick, not well. I wonder how it will work out this time. We shall find out in the next episode.