5.2.33 7.14.2024 Abraham Believing God Hebrews 11.8-10 Genesis 12.1, 15.1-6

Start:

Entice: If we measured Bible heroes statistically, like we measure athletic heroes Abraham would not be the biggest. His name(s)—you have to run searches on both Abram and Abraham to get good data—would appear no better than fourth on any list.

Now the number of times a name is used is not an ironclad pointer to importance. It just gives a sense of scope. More importantly it reminds us of how subsequent generations of faith thought about their hero’s of faith. By that measure father Abraham is mentioned less than Saul, Moses, or David—and he was the ancestor of it all!

It is important to keep fame, impact, and notoriety separate. Pointedly we have long, involved, and rather detailed stories about the sins of both Saul and David.

The Key to understanding what really counts in Scripture is not deeds so much as it is the proximity of an individual to God and

an ardent desire to respond to God’s Word

Deeds help to describe a persons faith but do not define or determine faith. Comparing the abbreviated amount of space devoted to Abraham vs. David, gives us an idea of the breadth of his reputation for faithfulness. David’s story is big and informs much of the Hebrew Bible after his time…in a much smaller framework Abraham’s becomes a profound example for everyone seeking the face of God.

Engage: Out of everything that we believe about everything, how much of it is formed by our culture and how much of it is formed by a faithful, ongoing, conversation with scripture? I ask this because when we look at the story of Abram/Abraham, when we examine what it tells us about the man and the environment in which he was called to faithfully follow God, it might challenge not only our conceptions about faith but also many cherished cultural values. This is often true when we set aside the cultural assumptions and accretions that cloud our judgment. Let me read what the Hebrew author says…

Hebrews 11:8–10 ESV

8 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. 9 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. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

Expand: Some first-off, quick observations.

Abraham was a migrant.

An alien.

A foreigner.

Abraham was an Iron-age illegal immigrant.

Abraham largely didn’t “achieve” what he set out for.

His is a story of promises deferred.

He did end up having a son, but He never took ownership of the land.

In an achievement culture like ours Abraham would likely have been thought a failure.

Hebrews 11.12 puts it bluntly

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised,”

But what exactly did God have in mind for Abraham’s journey?

Abraham was sort of a dreamer. Specifically, the sort whose dreams did not often seem to come true.

He was always looking for a home yet ever wandering.

He was always looking for affection even when seducing a slave girl.

He was Lot’s helpful rich uncle, who had everything he needed but whose only tangible asset was a cemetery plot.

Excite:

What makes him our father Abraham?

What is the secret to the kind of enduring faith we see in him?

In his life,

God told Abraham to go, so he went.

God told Abraham to trust him, so he did.

Abraham asked for a son, and God gave him every person of faith ever since as his offspring.

Abraham longed for confirmation; God entered a covenant with Him.

Abraham’s story is less about getting and going than it is about relating and knowing.

The “stuff”, the substance of Abraham’s story is faith.

Explore:

Real faith is about a relationship not rewards or results.

Expand:

Body of Sermon: Obedient faith begins with

1 Assent.

Obedience to…

(Command of God (Yes Sir!))

Obedience in…

(Character of God)

Biblical faith requires

2 Acceptance.

2.1 God’s evaluation

2.2 God’s guidance.

Biblical faith is found in the weakness and powerlessness of

3 Alienation

3.1 Like Abraham Christians are always outsiders.

3.2 Like Abraham Christians are here temporarily.

Finally… Obedient faith lives in

4 Anticipation.

Over the horizon! Beyond the burning sand. In the deepening desert twilight as stars explode across the vastness—God’s Word came to Abraham and Abraham believed God—his belief changed everything. He heard God’s Word and followed the Lamb into history. Always an outcast always moving, never arriving—he waited and worshipped and prayed and longed for the city…The city designed and built by God. That longing, that waiting, that watching, that doing, and praying, and acting—every breath in the light of the in-breaking of the heavenly city, that is faith.

Shut Down

Genesis 15:1–6 (ESV)

1 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.”

2 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?”

3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”

4 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.”

5 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.”

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Father Abraham is a very silly song we used to sing at camp. An arm waggling, foot-stomping, circle turning hootenanny. Thousands of years after he heard God’s Word and said yes—even in joyful silliness of that children’s song we commemorate the fact that his simple faith yielded an incalculable harvest.

Like Noah and Enoch before him, Abraham walked with God.

And walked and walked and walked.

If you are tired of making your own way it is time to assent to His way, to only seek His acceptance, To live in blessed alienation from the things of earth—always awaiting the arrival of the author and perfecter of our faith.

Many sons had Father Abraham, I’m one of them. Are you?