Called to Blessing Genesis 12 March 17, 2013 A. Introduction As Jesus interacted with people, what was it that received His commendation more than anything else? Matthew 8:10, 9:22, 15:28; Luke 7:50 - their Why is faith so important to the Christian? Hebrews 11:3,6 Without faith it is impossible to please God and anyone who comes to Him must exercise faith. B. God s Word, the source of faith 1-3 When the word of the Lord came to Abram, what three things did God tell him to leave behind? 12:1a 1. His 2. His 3. His Where did God tell Abram to go? 12:1b He was to go to a land that God would show him. Where was Abram when the Word of the Lord first came to him? Acts 7:2-3 Mesopotamia (land of the Chaldeans) C. Faith, the source of obedience 4-6 How did Abram respond to the Word of the Lord? 12:4a Do you think that Abram obeyed God immediately? Acts 7:2-3, Genesis 11:31 No, he waited in Haran for a period of five years. How old was Abram when he moved from Haran to Canaan? 12:4b Does God call Christians to go wherever He leads them? Lk. 9:23; II Cor. 6:17-18; Mk. 1:17, 16:15 Yes, He calls upon us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. D. Obedience, the source of blessing 7-9 What did God promise to do if Abram would obey His Word? 12:2-3 He promised to: 1. Make of him a great nation 5. Bless those who bless Abram 2. Bless him 6. Curse those who curse him 3. Make his name great 7. Bless all the families of the earth through Abram 4. Make him a blessing How do you think all the families of the earth could be blessed through Abram? Matt. 1:1, Gal. 3:14 What happened to Abram when he reached the town of Shechem in the plains of Moreh? 12:7a What did Abram do at Shechem and in the hill country west of Bethel? 12:6, 7b, 8b? E. Blessing, the source of testing 10-20 What happened as Abram journeyed further south into the Negev? 12:9, 10a Where did Abram decide to go temporarily in order to escape the famine? 12:10b What kind of test did Abram encounter in Egypt? 12:10-20 Was Abram successful in preventing the Egyptians from discovering that Sarai was his wife? 12:18-20
Called to Blessing March 17, 2013
Q: Why would God want a chosen people? A: He wanted a nation: 1. To whom He might entrust the Holy Scriptures 2. Who would be a witness of the ways of God to other nations 3. Through whom the Messiah, the promised seed of woman, would come.
The Christian Life A. The Bible which is God s Word B. Faith in Christ C. Blessing
James 1:2-4 - Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Romans 5:2-5 -... And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
II Chronicles 26:15-16 - And his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense
A. Introduction The Bible which is God s Word B. God s Word, the source of faith Faith in Christ C. Faith, the source of obedience Blessing
Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
A. Introduction The Bible which is God s Word B. God s Word, the source of faith Faith in Christ C. Faith, the source of obedience Blessing D. Obedience, the source of blessing E. Blessing, the source of testing
B. God s Word, the source of faith 1-3
Genesis12:1 - Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's household, to the land which I will show you; 1. His country (originally Ur of the Chaldeans) 2. His relatives 3. His father s household. Who are Abram s relatives and his father s household?
Genesis 11:27-28 - Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot. And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Genesis 11:31 - And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there.
Acts 7:2-4 - And he (Stephen) said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him,' Depart from your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.' "Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans, and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God removed him into this country in which you are now living.
Luke 9:59-60 - Then He (Jesus) said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."
Q: Where did God tell Abram to go? A: He was to go to a land that God would show him.
C. Faith, the source of obedience 4-6
Hebrews 11:8-10 - By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
He went out not knowing where he was going.
Joshua 24:2-3 - And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.
D. Obedience, the source of blessing 7-9
Q: What did God promise to do as Abram would obey His Word? 12:2-3
God said: Genesis12:2-3 And I will make you a great nation.. I Kings 10:24 - And all the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Galatians 3:8-9 - And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you." So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Genesis 12:6-7 And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.
E. Blessing, the source of testing 10-20
Genesis 12:15 - And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
I Peter 3:4-6 - but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Genesis 12:18-19 - And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way."
Lessons to be learned 1. Strengthen your faith by studying God s Word. 2. When the Lord calls, do all God says to do and don t wait to obey. 3. Take steps to assure that what God intends to be a blessing does not turn into a source of pride. 4. Don t let the enemy rob you of a blessing in suffering and affliction.
Lessons to be learned 5. Try not to let fear force you into a compromise. 6. Remember that in spite of mistakes, God still blesses those whose heart is right with Him. 7. When God rewards your faith, offer Him a sacrifice of praise.