Abrams Calling

Intro

Good Morning

Ask how everyone is doing

open up with what series we are in

PRAY

Word

Genesis 12 ESV

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So 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,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

Points

Genealogies background set the scene

Opening Movie credits

Intro to Abram and life

God calls him is first verse

Abram obeys Gods call

Abram then sees God play out his promise

Word

Genesis 15:1–6 ESV

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Points

God speaks to Abram

God keeps his promises

We need to surrender and have faith

Hebrews 11:8–9 ESV

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

Application

Well this leads us perfectly to our application section. you see i have been right where you all are sitting not to many years ago and i asked the same question so i figured i would tell you what I did to explore my calling or purpose well when i was in 8th grade i was able to go on a missions trip and that changed me after this trip i really pondered what my purpose was. through this process PJ had helped me and encouraged me to explore different opportunity's such as helping at VBS to even serving at our fall festival. these opportunity opened my eyes to the reality that I loved ministry and doing ministry. this then led me to be able to explore more what it would look like to to full time vocational ministry. all through high-school i was able to hone in on what type of minsitry I should pursue and i came to realize that youth ministry was where I was called. not only did I have people tell me and encourage me to pursue this I felt at home whenever I was in The well and especially the last year as i have got a chance to teach in middle school. My point with this story is that if you explore your options God will take you and guide you to where you are called. maybe for some of you that is full time ministry and if so i would love to talk to you or maybe for some of you its business that you love to do others it might be teaching the list of calling is endless but the reality is if we desire to love God and follow his lead we will be put in the right place and have opportunity wherever you end up to ultimately share the gospel with people.

I have come up with 3 practical things to do in order to search out your purpose.

PRAYER: it is so important to talk to the one who knows your purpose to find out your purpose.

FOLLOWING GODS LEAD: through prayer and listening for his voice we find that he will lead us

TRY OUT DIFFERENT THINGS: serve in different areas and try out things that you may not think you are good at and God will guide you.