Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-3
OPENING: Go, and I will make you … For Abraham a new beginning … Have you been called to a new beginning? … Are you listening for God? … When we get the signs to start a new beginning what do you do? … Abraham was 75 when God wanted him to start a new beginning … What can we learn from the life of Abraham? … Tonight we are going to look into the life of Abraham and see how we can apply it to our calling for a new beginning …
Who Was Abraham?:
No other Old Testament character is mentioned more in the New Testament than Abraham … Believers in all generations are called the “children of Abraham” Galatians 3:7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.
The life of Abraham takes up a good portion of the Genesis narrative from his first mention in Genesis 11:26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran all the way to his death in Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
When we first meet Abraham, he is already 75 years old. His life gets interesting in chapter 12 …
Genesis 12:1-3 “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’"
God calls him from his home and tells him go now, I’ll tell you later where your going later … What really makes Abraham special is that he obeyed God … Abraham was made three promises from God but he went out in faith alone and obeyed …
How many of us would leave behind everything that is familiar to us and just go without knowing our destination? … Consider the concept of family meant everything to a person living in that time. Family units were strongly knit; it was unusual for family members to live hundreds of miles apart from each other … In addition, we’re not told anything about the religious life of Abraham and his family prior to his calling.
The people of Ur and Haran were pagans who worshipped the ancient Babylonian pantheon of gods, in particular the moon god, Sin … Somehow, Abraham knew and recognized the call of the LORD and obeyed willingly, not hesitantly …
When we are called to something so large, and without indication of where we are being called, what do we do? … Do we have the faith of Abraham or do we question God? … Are we really listening to what God has to say or what we would like God to say? …
Next Abraham is promised a son: Genesis 15:4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." … Abraham believes the promise of God and it is credited to him as righteousness: Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. …
So much faith that the author of Hebrews say’s: Hebrews 11:11-12 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
Abraham’s faith was tested with his son, Isaac … Genesis 22 God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the top of Mount Moriah … We don’t know how Abraham reacted internally but we do see Abraham faithfully obeying the God and who had been gracious and good to him up to this point. … As with the earlier command to leave his home and family, Abraham obeyed … We know how the story ends but imagine how Abraham felt … The point is that Abraham’s faith in God was greater than his love for his son, and he trusted that even if he sacrificed Isaac, God was able to bring him back from the dead: Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Abraham lived by faith and set the example for all of us …
Abraham’s Failures:
We know of at least two occasions in which Abraham lied about his relationship to Sarah in order to protect himself (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18) … In both these incidents, God protects and blesses Abraham despite his lack of faith …
We also know that the frustration of not having a child got to Abraham and Sarah so they plotted to take matters into their own hand with Sarah’s servant, Hagar (Genesis 16:1-15) … The birth of Ishmael shows us the futility of Abraham’s folly and lack of faith, but also the grace of God (in allowing the birth to take place and even blessing Ishmael) … The ‘Father of the Faithful’ had his moments of doubt and disbelief, yet he is still exalted among men as an example of the faithful life …
What Are We To Learn?:
Live a life of faith … Abraham could take Isaac, up to Mount Moriah because he knew God was a faithful God who would keep His promises … Abraham’s faith wasn’t a blind faith, his faith was a settled assurance and trust in the One who had proven Himself faithful and true …
If we were to look back on our own lives, we would see the hand of God all over it? … God doesn’t have to speak from burning bushes or part the sea waters to be active in our lives. God is in control of the events of our lives … Sometimes it may not seem that way, but Abraham’s life is evidence that it is true … Even Abraham’s failures demonstrate that God, while not protecting us from the consequences of our sin, graciously works His will in us and through us …
CLOSING: We see that Abraham was an exemplary individual … His life illustrates so many truths of the Christian life … God called Abraham out of the millions of people on the earth to be the object of his blessings … God used him to play a major role in the story of redemption through the birth of Jesus … He is a living example of faith and hope in the promises of God (Hebrews 11:10) … We should live our lives that when we die, our faith, like Abraham’s, will be such an enduring legacy …
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