Northland Church

Welcome to Northland!
Northland Church exists to glorify God as we participate in His mission of redeeming a people from all peoples by engaging neighbors and nations to be fully alive in King Jesus through the power of the Spirit.

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What Kind of Laugh do you have?

1. I’m Too Good to laugh
2. Silent laugh
3. Machine Gun laugh
4. Fake laugh
5. Hand Gestures laugh (Pointer, Clapper, Stomach)

What Kind of Laugh do you have?

1. Heavy — Lose my breath — laugh
2. The Wet my Pants laugh
3. The Snort laugh
4. The Transformer Blew laugh
5. I Don’t Really Get It laugh

MP:

The Kind of LAUGH you have towards God reveals the Kind of LIFE you have with God.

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” (Genesis 17:15–18)

“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” (Genesis 18:9–12)

The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking (Hebrew word for laughing), and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” (Genesis 21:8–10)

Laugh 1: Astonishing Doubt

Thought: I don’t see it, therefore it is hard to believe it.

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” (Genesis 17:17–18)

Laugh 2: Cynical Skepticism

Thought: I don’t think God will do it.

So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.” (Genesis 18:12–15)

Laugh 3: Antagonistic Mocking

Thought: I despise that God did it.

Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking (Hebrew word for laughing), and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” (Genesis 21:9–10)

Laugh 4: Redeeming Laugh

Thought: God actually did it!
I don’t know how, but He did!

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him . . . Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” (Genesis 21:1–7)

The Laughter in Genesis 17–21 is just the precursor to the Laughter the ULTIMATE SON OF PROMISE would bring.

Redeeming Laughter: (Luke 24:6–8,46–47, 51–52)

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. . . .

Redeeming Laughter: (Luke 24:6–8,46–47, 51–52)

. . . He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem . . . While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

Redeeming Laughter: (Luke 6:21):

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

To REDEEM laughter you’ll need to REMEMBER the Lord— who He is, what He has done, is doing, and will do.

What kind of laugh describes where your life is at with God?