September 14, 2025, Message by Pastor Dallas Elder
Transcribed by Beluga AI.
Who have I in heaven but you? Besides you, I desire nothing on earth. My heart and my flesh may fail, but God, you’re the strength of my life and my portion forever. Amen. Amen.
Dear ones, I want to let you know that tomorrow night at 6 o’clock at the Firehouse Church in Bremerton, we will be having a prayer night for revival in America, Kitsap, and our own lives. We experienced this week the shocking killing, assassination, of a Christian brother, and a high-profile Christian brother. I mean, people get killed every week, but it, but it, but it has shocked, you know, it’s kind of shocked us and caused some real sadness and some anger and a lot of things. But one of the things is that it has kind of spurred people into an increased boldness and desire to stand up for their faith and be a public witness for Jesus and not be afraid.
And those are all good things. Those are also emotions that sometimes last for a day or two or a week. And I remember when 9/11 hit, churches were full for a couple of weeks and then not so full. But I’ve been praying for over 20 years for revival in America, in the Pacific Northwest, and I have made a commitment to and what I mean by revival is an increased spiritual vitality in the church of God, an increased awareness of his presence, and increased repentance and increased faith that will be so powerful in the church that it will actually affect the culture to the point and this would be a nationwide revival would infect the culture to a point that it brought about really a cultural reformation, an establishment of, once again in America, of a Christian worldview.
It actually takes about 25% of the population to do that. Doesn’t take 60%, 90%. Takes 25% of the population who are not playing around with their faith, but who are real about their faith to actually bring about a cultural transformation.
Anyway, I’ve been praying for that 20 years at least. And I don’t know how many more years I’ll be running around, but I am committed to praying about it for all those years as well.
And then here, here’s the other prayer that I’ve prayed. I have prayed, “Lord, I not only want this revival to come, I want to be a part of it.” I tell Him, “I want to play in it. I want to splash in that pool, man.” And God is smarter than me. And if He wants to bring this revival after I’m gone, like I said, He’s smarter than me. He can do that. And I won’t, I don’t imagine in eternity, I’ll complain. I think my complaining and grumbling days will be over. Anyway but nonetheless, I think it’s fair. I think God wants you to tell Him the desires of your heart. And so that is one of the desires of my heart.
I’ve had visions at the Bremerton church of people just walking through that door and the power of God being so strong in that building that they couldn’t even get all the way through the door and they just fell to the floor. And I’ve had other pictures in my mind’s eye by visions, I don’t mean an open vision, you know, where I fell into a trance and saw this. It’s just the picture that goes through my brain. And I’m very aware that we can import our own fleshly desires into those pictures. I’m also aware that God can give us those pictures. And I’m not always clear on how to sort that out, but I don’t think it’s a bad picture to see a bunch of young people, a bunch of people just overpowered by the presence of God. And I’ve seen a group of young people surrounded that place right up front there, just on the ground, just hungering for God and under the power of God. I’ve seen that in my mind for a while.
And another, another thing I’ve seen is how many of you remember Bonanza and the little fire coming through the map, right? So I see a map in my mind’s eye of the western United States. And I see lots of those little fires burning holes in that map until they become one, until they coalesce into one big fire. And I don’t think that has to do with this time of season and California and Montana wildfires. I don’t think that’s what the vision means. I think it means the fires of revival.
Having said all that, tomorrow night at six o’clock, I’ll be down at the Bremerton church leading a time of prayer for revival for our nation, for our county, and for ourselves. You are welcome to join in that if you’d like to be there. I just want to invite you for that.
So I just would like to see this tragic event that has because God does this this tragic event that has spurred a spark of spiritual hunger, vitality, passion in our land. You know, people say, “Well, for Charlie Kirk’s sake, I don’t want to see this go to waste.” I’ll tell you what, for Jesus Christ’s sake, I don’t want to see this go to waste. Charlie Kirk laid down his life, not necessarily voluntarily, but he did, and I honor him for that. But Jesus is the one in whom we glory, and so for His sake, that He would get the prize for which He died.
So dear ones, just let you know, wanted to invite you to that.
I also wanted to welcome my friend, Dallas Elder. Dallas and I have been journeying together for 27 years. How old are you, Isaiah? 28. So when you were 1 year old, Dallas and I said, “Hey, Isaiah’s 1 years old. Let’s get together and start partnering together in ministry.” So long before Sophia was born, we began to meet up, and I had left a mainline denomination, and we joined with our church that we planted, joined with Grace Covenant, and we’ve been with them ever since. And so Dallas has been the ministry director with Grace Covenant for all those years. He comes out once a year to be with us, and it’s always a delight to have him. So I want to welcome my friend Dallas Elder to come share the Word of God.
Just hook that onto yourself. All right, welcome.
Thank you so much. Okay. How we doing with that? Ats, make me sound good. You always want to be friends with the sound guy. He’ll make you sound like a duck, otherwise.
Hey, so good to be with you. Always good to be with Kevin. The journey that we’ve had with Jill, his family, works of ministry, times we’ve served together for the kingdom. And it’s always a joy to come out and not only be with Kevin and Jill, but also these friends. I was telling him today that his friends through years become my friends. And so always good to be in this house.
And so we appreciate your partnership for our missions and all the different things that we do, as well as your part in our Grace Covenant ministry family.
This evening, I want to bring a message to you entitled “The God Who Sees Me.” “The God Who Sees Me.” And if you have your Bibles, either you know the book or you’ve got your phone, whatever you have, then turn to Genesis 16, because that’s where we will be for the bigger part of this message. I may make a couple other references.
“The God Who Sees Me.” Genesis 16.
Have you ever found yourself in a place in time where life just got complicated? I mean, we have the tendency to look at other people’s lives and think, “Well, they’re all hunky dory.” And by the way, you might ask, what is hunky dory? Well, that’s slang for having it as good as one could wish or expect. Life is good, fine, uncomplicated. It’s hunky dory.
So whether you want to admit it or not, we understand that our choices, however, can complicate our lives. We can, we will, reap what we sow. But what about and here’s a question for this evening but what about when life gets complicated and we’re just an innocent victim of circumstances that are beyond our control? It seems so random, unfair, and undeserved.
So we begin to ask questions. Why God? Why me? Are you there? Do you really care? Do you see my plight? What purpose could this serve? I see no hope for my future.
You know, God spoke to just to give you a little backstory God spoke to Abraham and Sarai and promised that they would have a son. And he would become a child of God’s covenant, and he would be a great nation. And through him here’s the Abrahamic promise through him, all the nations of the world would be blessed. Case in point, the Lord Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham.
So Abram received this promise when he was 75, and Sarai was 65. So when we get to Genesis 16, 10 years have gone by. Still no child. They ain’t getting any younger. So now they begin to work through this test of faith. Fill in the blank. As often happens with prophetic promises of God, sometimes and often, there is a long wait. And so we begin to think in our minds and initiate ways that we will fill in the blank and fulfill the promise. We feel the pressure, the obligation of fulfillment. The Lord spoke the promise. But we begin then to take it upon ourselves to fulfill the promise, produce the answer. We lean on our own understanding. We concoct the plan of fulfillment.
We see the evidence of this in Genesis 16. We’re going to begin reading through the first six verses. Genesis 16:1.
1Now, Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.” (Genesis 16:1-5, NIV)
Verse 6.
6“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. (Genesis 16:6, NIV)
Hagar was a victim of circumstance.
Hagar most likely became part of Abram’s and Sarai’s household during their short stay in Egypt. You might recall the story. Upon entering Egypt, because his wife was stunningly beautiful, Abram devised this brilliant plan to present Sarai as his sister. Therefore, Pharaoh would take her and not kill him. He would just take her.
Because Pharaoh understood that Sarai was Abram’s sister, he did take her and put her into his harem, In protection, the Lord brought a vile disease, vile diseases upon Pharaoh and his household. Pharaoh said to Abram, “Why did you deceive me and cause me all this trouble? You all just get out of here.” And in the process, he probably gave to Sarai, the maid, the servant who had been her attendant. “And you can take Hagar with you.” She personally had served Sarai.
So after 10 years of not conceiving, Sarai was feeling the pressure of the unfulfilled promise. It’s a heavy thing. “We’ve been trying to have a child since we were married. The Lord spoke His promise. It’s been 10 years nothing.” So she said, “Abram, take my servant Hagar. Perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Fill in the blank. The Lord said Abram, Sarah would have a son. What was Sarai saying? I don’t believe God will fulfill His promise. This was her plan of fulfillment of the promise.
In the culture of the day, it was an acceptable practice. It was considered that servants can be part of the household. Sarah brought Hagar to Abram. He slept with her. She conceived. And then Hagar offended Sarai. Hagar was the servant to her mistress. Now she’s pregnant with her husband’s child. Now she stands in a position to do what Sarai could not. She is in the position to fulfill this promise. She seemingly had the Lord’s promise in her womb, and she began to flaunt her new status. Hagar became rude and crude to Sarai. You have to remember, Hagar has been a slave, a servant. She’s never had a status.
So Sarai confronted Abram with the situation, told him it was all his fault. “You’re responsible for my suffering.” Abraham told Sarai, “She’s under your control. Do with her as she wishes.” Sarai mistreated her so horribly, Hagar fled the home.
Let’s pick up the story in verse 7.
7The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” (Genesis 16:7-10, NIV)
Verse 11.
11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. 12He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” (Genesis 16:11-12, NIV)
What a beautiful redemptive scene. And you know, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve read through the Scripture. I’ve preached through Genesis. I’m still seeing things that I kind of just glossed over. The focus is always so much on Abram and Sarai, Abraham and Sarah. I’ve never seen this merciful moment and redemptive reach and mercy and kindness that the Lord shows to Hagar. And it so eloquently displays His love and mercy, the love and mercy of God that He has for every, every person on the face of the planet.
But you talk about complicated. Hagar moved from her own people. She didn’t really choose to move. She was taken from her own people no longer around family to a country, her nation, to another country, another location, become part of a new family. She’s a servant, a maid stronger language, slave. And then she was requested to sleep with her mistress’ husband. She becomes pregnant. Conflict arose with her mistress. She didn’t have a whole lot of choice, really, to be honest in this matter. Things got so intense, so conflicted. She runs away. She’s with a child in her womb, all alone in an unknown land.
It’s hard to imagine all the fear and all the anguish that Hagar must have been feeling. And in the midst of that, the angel of the Lord I love this the angel of the Lord found Hagar.
God knows where you are. As lost, lonely, isolated as we may be feeling, buried under incredible, challenging circumstances that weren’t initiated by us, the Lord, the good shepherd, always looking for us. You have value. You have worth. You are desired by God. We’re not some subplot in somebody else’s story. Not some sideline, some outtake, some footnote in somebody else’s story that He cares more about than He could ever care for us.
No, He makes himself available to every person to find you, engage you in the depths of your despair and in the midst of situations that seem so unfair, unjust, dark, and hopeless. No one, no one is beyond God’s search and His reach. No one is hidden in the shadows of somebody else’s spotlight. God knows you and your situation.
You know, we can get so buried in our backstory, under our baggage, swallowed up by circumstances, that we literally have an identity crisis. As we begin to recount our sordid history, we can conclude absolutely that we have no value, that we’re not heard, we’re not seen. Who knows that we even exist? With my life experience as a reference, how could I believe I have a purpose in this world?
Trace the journey of Hagar’s life with all the hardships and all the challenges that she’s faced. Now she’s brought into this complicated, isolated, seemingly hopeless situation, and she has a child in her womb, feeling responsible for the child, and yet forgotten and insignificant.
And the angel of the Lord called Hagar by name. He knew her address. He came to Hagar. “You are Sarah’s servant, Sarai’s servant.” God will engage you in conversation.
It was said of Jesus that he would be the Wonderful Counselor. Of course, Jesus said by the way, this was the angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Jesus, the Messenger, the Word who became flesh. “I’m going to leave,” He said, “but I’m going to send you another counselor to help you with, be with you forever.”
Have you noted in Scripture the number of times, the number of times that God calls people by name? And then He begins the conversation with a question. “Elijah, what are you doing here?” “Hagar, where have you come from and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress.” It’s a counseling tool, questions. The wonderful counselor. You want people to reflect on where they’ve come from and where they are, and where do you think this is going to lead? What are the reasons for the choices you’ve made? Those questions of the Lord require some introspection and some evaluation.
How about you? Let me ask you tonight, where are you going? Where have you been? Where have you come from, and where are you going? These are great questions. They cause us to step back for a moment and reflect rather than just react on all that has come our way. It enables us to push pause for a moment on the fight or flight mechanism and consider what we are doing and listen to what God has to say. God will guide you into His promise.
It wasn’t just Abram and Sarai who got a promise from the Lord. Did you note that Sarai got a problem? Got a promise. God equally had a promise for this seemingly insignificant servant girl who randomly got enfolded into this dysfunctional family and has become this victim of circumstances that are absolutely beyond her control.
Ever feel like a pawn? Just in this scheme of life, other people have promises, purposes I’m just a footnote.
God counseled to Hagar: “Go back to your mistress. Obey my counsel. Here’s your promise. I will increase your descendants. They will be too many to count. I will give you your portion of my favor. And you are now pregnant with this. And you’ll give birth to a son. You shall call him Ishmael, for the Lord has” which is “God hears,” which is the fact that God has heard your misery.
Fourteen years into the future, God will give Abraham and Sarah their son. He will be called Isaac, which means “he laughs.” They laughed when they heard the promise that they would be old and have this son. They tried to fulfill it. They haven’t been able to fulfill it. God laughs at our unbelief as we try to fill in the blank, fulfill His promise with our plan.
But note this. God also gave Hagar a name for her son. God hears. Now He hears the cries of everyone. No one is beyond His hearing. God heard the cries, Hagar, of you and your misery. God knows. He’s mindful of our misery. And the Lord described the type of man Ishmael would be. Here’s the prophet, the prophecy. He will have the nature of hostility. He has a purpose in this world. It doesn’t look the same as Isaac’s purpose, but he has a purpose in this world. God brings no one into this world that doesn’t have a purpose. Everyone born in the image of God. Everyone has an opportunity to receive a promise, have a future and a hope.
The Lord weaves these tragic, dysfunctional, poor choices into a greater purpose. Every person loved by God. Every person created with a divine purpose.
Genesis 16:13.
13She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi;it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. (Genesis 16:13-15, NIV)
So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram, interestingly, gave him the name Ishmael. Hagar said, “Yeah, here’s what the Lord, the angel of the Lord, said his name should be.” Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.
16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. (Genesis 16:16, NIV)
God sees you. Here’s an incredible declaration that this servant girl who is pregnant makes. In all her desperation, God showed up. He heard her cry. He spoke to her. He spoke purpose and promise over her. There was this realization: I’m not out of God’s sight. I have seen the God who sees me. When I was carried away by all my desperate circumstances that were not my own making, when I was rejected and cast away, when I was afraid and feared for my life and that of my unborn child, when there was no provision, no hope of survival, you saw me. You came to me. You called me. You counseled me. You personally revealed your presence to me in my darkest hour. You saw me in my great need. I have undeniably seen you.
Ever felt that you were beyond God’s vision, that you are so buried under your circumstances, that you created or actually were created by circumstances around you?
In my mind, this is one of the greatest declarations in all of Scripture. It totally reveals the tender mercy of God. I have seen the one who sees me. That’s just beautiful. What mercy, what love that God is displaying at that place of the God encounter.
Interestingly, was this life-giving spring and well. It now bears the name that Hagar gave it. She named the place “The well of the one who sees me.” And in obedience, Hagar returned to Sarai and submitted to her, and she bore Abram a son and called his name Ishmael: God hears.
I want to go fast forward to the rest of this story or at least another part of the story. And that’s in Genesis 21:17-21. See, God has a promise and a purpose for you.
In Genesis 21, I’ll just tell you some of the story. Ishmael is about 16, 17 years old. He’s a mouthy teenager. Isaac has been born and weaned, so he’s about 2 to 3 years old. Abraham is holding a celebration. Ishmael mocked Isaac and the occasion. Hagar once again, Hagar and Ishmael were then sent away.
The Lord said to distressed Abraham, “I will make your, the son of Hagar a great nation because he is your offspring.” Yeah, once again, Hagar and his son Ishmael were sent away. And they wandered alone in the desert until all of their water was gone. Hagar, Hagar put her son under a bush, one of the bushes, knowing that this will be the end. Put him in the shade. We’re out of water. I cannot watch him die.
Genesis 21:17-21. God heard Ishmael. God hears.
17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.“ (Genesis 21:17-18, NIV)
Here’s the promise again. This isn’t the end. “Then the Lord opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.” Mom with son had been here before. “So she went, and she filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. And while he was living in the desert, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.
19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.20 God was with the boy, as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. (Genesis 21:19-20, NIV)
Verse 20 once again, “God was with the boy as he grew up.”
Well, were the only privileged folks here, Abram and Sarai? Only privileged? Only ones loved, only ones embraced? Only ones who have a promise and a purpose? No. Every person. Every person.
You see the parallels here? God heard the boy crying. Ishmael. God hears. This is all reinforcement of what the Lord had counseled and said and ministered, if you will, to Hagar. The angel of the Lord called to Hagar last time He showed up. He begins with a question, like last time. Here’s His assurance. “Don’t be afraid.” Affirmation of the promise again, restated. “I will make him into a great nation.” The well of provision.
When we get consumed with our anxieties and buried under our burdens, sometimes we can’t see the provision of God in the area. Didn’t see the well, but He opened her eyes. The God who sees helps us to see His guaranteed presence.
God was with the boy when he grew up. In the midst of our circumstances, our challenges, and the crises, we need the strong reminder that God hears us and that God sees us. God has a promise and a plan and a purpose for you. Hagar wasn’t a footnote. You’re not a footnote. Ishmael, not a footnote.
Let me end with this. He hears you. He sees you. He will sustain you. And He will speak His promise and His purpose to you.
Pastor Kevin.
When you cry out to Him, He hears your voice. And He answers. He answers in ways that will often be surprising. Maybe not in the ways you expect Him to answer. So keep your eyes and ears open. There are things you don’t see that are right in front of you, that at the right time He will show you.
So, dear ones, it’s come to a time of the service where we will receive this communion meal together. Jesus invites you to His table. This is at His invitation. This is because He loves you. He wants to have a meal with you. He told his disciples, “I have longed to have this meal with you.” And then He said, “As often as you gather, have dinner with me. Have dinner with me.”
It’s always a way dinner is, eating together is very relational, isn’t it? Eating together is very relational.
So come and eat the meal of the New Covenant. Your sins are forgiven, alright? Just in case I’m not sure, this is a pretty holy crowd; I’m not sure if anybody sinned this week at all or not but just in case you did, your sins are forgiven, all right? And I’m being facetious, but it’s actually a very wonderful and serious thing that the God of the universe bore our sins for us.
And so it is always appropriate to say “thank you.” And especially at this supper. And I’ve just made it a habit, as I take the bread and dip it, I just say I say it out loud I just say, “Thank you.”
So come and eat.
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