The Continuing Promise

Blessed to be a Blessing

Good morning everyone, it is a joy and a privilege to be here with you today. Truly, it is humbling.....

This morning, our aim, is to elevate and praise God by further understanding the many ways in which He has intervened on our behalf. The ways he has been consistent and faithful. The ways He has gone before us. Really, what we are considering is how simple truths from the Lord have great impact on us.

Before we continue, lets commit this time to the Lord. Lets pray.

Today, we are studying from Genesis 12 where God offers to Abraham a promise. It is not just any promise but one that will have ongoing, lasting affects. As we study this scripture, know that it is now referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant. In other words, its much more than what we might think of when someone makes us a promise. It is a firm commitment that God is simply going to bring about in His timing.

Genesis 12:1–4 “1 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. 2 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. 3 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.” 4 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.”

In 2011, I started serving at a church in the Twin Cities called Westwood Community Church. It was an internship that turned into a part time job. During my three years there, I would say I was heavily poured into as a leader and as a result - deeply impacted. One of the pieces that has stuck with me since my time there was a motto of the church. I knew it, understood it while I was there, but since leaving, it has resurfaced over and over again in my life. It has helped me re-calibrate when I am off, it has helped expand my view in multiple spiritual areas, and it has honestly drawn me closer to the Lord. I have also caught myself sharing it with many people in one on one conversations in order to help them re-calibrate and seek the Lord. The motto is not a phrase they constructed but rather it is scripture that they pulled from these verses.

Notice verse 2, God promises Abraham, saying I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

Later in Genesis 18, God reaffirms this promise and brings greater clarity.

Genesis 18:17–19 “17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

This is not the only place we see this Covenant further clarified and developed. In fact, if we pay attention we see this promise come out again and again throughout the generations that follow Abraham. We see it throughout the New Testament and we continue to see it play out today. I have personally witnessed and experienced it in my own life as well as in the lives of others.

The motto taken from these passages and used at Westwood is this,

“That God has blessed us to be a blessing.”

That God has blessed you to be a blessing to the community around you.

They further clarified that by saying:

“With Open hands we gratefully receive from God all he wants to give, believing He wants to give us a lot, and with open hands we joyfully give it away.”

It is coming to a place in our relationship with the Lord where we move from recognizing that God will take care of us to trusting that He will take care of us. Its when we stop giving out of our surplus and we start giving freely with the love of Christ, using all our assets, abilities, and time that He has graciously given to us. Its about learning that I need not anything but Christ because He will provide all that I need in His timing.

This is a beautiful identity to take on because it is embracing the same promise that God gave to Abraham that He has extended through the generations to also bless us. But it is also revealing of who God is and His cosmic plan. What it tells us about God is that He loves us enough to patiently work on molding and transforming our heart and mind. That even though we are wickedly sinful, He still wants us. Not only does He want us but He wants to see us live the blessed life. Revealing, that God’s heart is to

take what is utterly dark and bring it into the light.

God’s heart is to bring the lost into His family, saving their souls for eternity

to take what appears to be only evil and remove every impurity to find establish what is good.

Not only does he do this refining work in us, but as we learn to lean into Him he establishes us so that we can truly be blessed.

Blessed in the Bible is often a little different than we think of it today. We often use the word blessed for receiving a gift that someone has given or with an attitude that really is communicating - Well, I am not dead so I guess I am blessed.”

God’s desire isn’t for you to be blessed in the sense of making it through life or receiving a simple gift. The idea of blessedness in the Bible is the idea of an ongoing flourishing in the life of the soul that transforms the person from the inside out, allowing them to better reflect and personally know the glory of God.

Its a deepening of the person where they are enriched, infused with the character of God.

It’s a sense of freedom in that the burden of sin is removed, Anxiety and fear are lifted - its a sense that we can freely live in the light, not because we are able or good enough but because God intervenes to take care of our need.

The blessedness that we see passed on throughout the generations that is given by God is a form of true fulfillment. That you learn how God has gifted and wired you. That you utilize and optimize your gifting for His kingdom. Its a sense of flourishing by the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. In fact, the Hebrew word that is used here is the word BRK, which means “Blessed, filled with strength, adored, and full.” To be blessed by God in this way is to have the favor of God on your life.

Interestingly, this word is used 72 times in the book of Genesis. And in the book of Psalms - the prayer language of God’s people, this word is used 74 times. In all of the Bible, this word is used 442 times. So in the book of Genesis we see a forward looking, promising God, letting people know that He is all in on them. By the time we get to Psalms, the prayer language of God’s people, we see recognition of the many ways in which we as the people of God experience His favor and blessing.

Blessedness is a Godly renewal of mind, body, and soul.

Not only does God do this work in our lives but He loves to do it. He loves when the lost are found. He loves adding people to His family. He loves removing what doesn’t belong to elevate what He already built into the person. He loves to see us flourish in our blessedness because when we do, it means we walk in right relationship with Him. He always loves spending time with us, but there is something especially good when there is no barrier of sin. No feelings of holding back, but immersed in goodness of God.

Don’t you want that in your life? - Don’t you want all that God has for you? - To simply delight in His presence?

Open Hands

If we really want to walk before the Lord in this way, we must learn how to walk with open hands. Because the danger and the struggle here, is that many of us struggle to live in a way that invites God to have His way with us. Many of us struggle to truly, freely let God have all of us. We give Him what feels good. What feels comfortable. There are times we venture into surrendering where it is uncomfortable but we still have a way of setting limits. Surrendering more but not all. In fact, many of us perceive that we have fully surrendered to Him and yet there are several places in your life where He has been knocking at the door, waiting for you to answer.

So the motto is “Blessed to be a blessing;” but the phrase to expound it “With Open hands we gratefully receive from God all he wants to give, believing He wants to give us a lot, and with open hands we joyfully give it away.”

There are several keys to learning this posture. We don’t have time to go over them all but I do want to highlight one in Luke 18:9–14. In this passage, Jesus is teaching people through parables. Starting in verse 9 it says,

“9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””

I think when Jesus told this parable, He intentionally goes over the top with the Pharisee’s attitude. I think we read this, readily picking up on the arrogance, the confidence that this man has in Himself. The trust that everything he is doing is exactly what everyone ought to do. Because of who He is, because he is doing everything “right,” because He is a committed follower of God He prays in a way where He is either unable or unwilling to see where He actually stands.

There is a reality, that we the human race have a problem with our perception. We think of the world in relation to ourselves instead of in relation to God. As a result, we can believe the words of scripture, believe in God, attend church, serve in many ways and yet, fail to recognize our need before God. Which means, as we come to Him, knowingly or unknowingly, we have closed our hands are are unable to receive what God is desiring to give.

The hard truth we find in this parable, is that you can do everything you are supposed to do, while never entering into God’s forgiveness and grace.

How many of us here today, have lived out what is “biblically right” believing that we are justified before God?

The revealing truth here, is that we are in constant need of God. In recognition of the fact that every moment of every day I need God. I need His forgiveness, I need His mercy, I need His grace, presence, His strength. I need everything that He is giving to me..... even if what He is giving me is situationally hard. Even if it is the hardest struggle of my life. Because I know He is giving it to me in order to further refine, to further build up what He has already placed in us. We come to God with open hands, not expecting to receive wealth or fame. Expecting to receive whatever we need to be made more into His image. Through this God has a way of deepening our soul and we experience deeper realities of life.

I love interacting with people who have gone through a challenging season in their life. And as they look back at it, they say “It is one of the hardest things I have ever been through..... but I would never wish that it didn’t happen.” Why??? Because of the way the Lord used that struggle to mold and shape them. Regardless of the desired outcome, in retrospect, as they focus on God they see that He poured into them throughout the struggle in a way that has brought transformation. Through that He is bringing them into a form of blessing that they could not have understood before.

So no matter if God is carrying you through the hardest struggle of your life or if He is giving you a season of Joy and blessing, know that in both cases God is able bestow blessing on your life..... If you have open hands to receive it.

So far, we have focused on the first half of Genesis 12:2. That by God’s good grace and mercy, God promised blessing to Abraham that has continued to this day.

But what about the second part of the promise? “Blessed to be a blessing.”

We are not blessed strictly for the sake of our own flourishing. But we are blessed for a purpose. That through God’s blessing in my life, through the molding and the shaping of my heart, soul, and mind God has equipped and prepared me for every good work. Part of the blessing of the Lord is His word, the Bible. The Bible is so useful and helpful to us in our spiritual walk because it guides us towards the Lord and who He is.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Part of the blessing of God is that He is inviting you into His cosmic plan to rid all of creation of the affects of sin and bring the souls of people out of wickedness and into His family. God has not only blessed you but He has called you. He has not only called you but He has and He is equipping you.

He is equipping you to pour out of yourself everything He has set in your hands.

That as teaches you mercy through your repeated failure.... you would be merciful towards others.

That as you have developed a hunger for the word of God, you would help others find their hunger.

That as you have learned to thirst after spending time in God’s presence through prayer and fasting, that you would help teach others how to thirst.

That as He has given you financial blessing, you would help those in need.

That as He has gifted you with peace of mind and clarity, you would be a peace maker in the lives of people around you.

You see, God is actively trying to pour into your life and draw you into deeper relationship with Him. Through that blessing, He knows you will be transformed and prepared to bless others in a similar way. Not in your own strength or by your own ability but by what He has given to you. With you knowing that the only way for others to experience the favor and blessing of the Lord is to live a life with open hands. Surrendered to all that God is and all that He has for them.

Blessed to be a Blessing

God made a promise to Abraham that through Him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. God later told Israel, that through them, the nations of the world would be blessed. Jesus commanded His followers to go to the ends of the earth, that the world might be blessed. So this was not just a promise to Abraham, but a promise that would continue through Abraham to Jesus and through Jesus to every Generation.

Throughout history, God’s plan of redemption for mankind has progressed and continued to expand the lines of the kingdom.

Here in the U.P. we are about 6,000 miles away from Israel. In one sense, we are the ends of the earth.

As I look around, as I have looked for the last four and a half years. It would seem to me that God has been active and has blessed this area through believers. It would seem to me that He has raised up and established biblical men and women who are continuing to grow, being molded and shaped by Him. In the last four years, particularly in the last year, here at Grace, we have seen God use a number of people at Grace to reach the lost and witness them putting their faith and trust in God. Do not be mistaken, God is at work here. God has been at work here.

The reality is that we have been blessed. We have been called. We have been and are being prepared.

As we look forward. What does it mean for us to further enter into the blessedness, the flourishing, and the favor that God desires to give us?

What would it look like, for us to constantly take what we are learning from the Lord and use it to bless the people around us?

There are so many people in Delta County who are in need. From broken relationships, bitterness, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, depression, all the way to suicidal ideation; how do we as a body of people who have been blessed by the Lord continue to meaningfully bring the light of Christ with us into a community that is in desperate need of God?

We have been blessed to be a blessing.

Really, the idea of this is that God is continuing to pour into us. Seeing and knowing us as a vessel that is to receive all that God wants to give us. Protecting ourselves from the world pouring into us, we turn towards God in recognition of our need. As God pours in, transformation takes place. Through the pouring and developing of character we are equipped and established by God to pour into the lives of people around us.

How do we make sure, that all along the way, we keep from becoming proud?

How do we learn to live with open hands, so that we can receive all that God wants to give us? Knowing that He wants to give us a lot. While being ready and willing to freely give it away?

I want to encourage you to wrestle with these questions. To pray through them and invite God to have His way, recognizing that we need Him to lead us in this way.

In many respects, here at Grace, we have lived out this idea of blessed to be a blessing. The reason being, it is already a part of who we know ourselves to be.

Our vision for Grace church is to “know Christ and to make Christ known.” In many respects, knowing Christ is the same as knowing blessing. In many respects, making Christ known, is living as a blessing to others.

This is not new to us, but it is a helpful way for us to think deeper about what it means to be all that God has called us to be.

In just a moment, I am going to pray. Before I do, I want to encourage you to join me in opening up your hands before the Lord. It is a healthy practice to stand in the presence of the Lord with open hands as a gesture to the Lord. A gesture that communicates, “Lord, I am yours. Have your way with me.”