The Journey of Abram

Genesis 12:4–9 NASB95

4 So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 6 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. 7 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. 8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain 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. 9 Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.

Intro:

Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had father Abraham, I am one of them and so are you, so lets just praise the Lord

Judaism, Christianity, & Islam all look to Abraham as someone KEY to their faith… the Abrahamic faith

His name mentioned over 200 times

HERE where his story begins

We see his reception of the call

A flawed man, but a faithful man

Abram’s Call

Genesis 12:1–3 (NASB95)

1 Now the Lord said to Abram,

“Go forth from your country,

And from your relatives

And from your father’s house,

To the land which I will show you;

2 And I will make you a great nation,

And I will bless you,

And make your name great;

And so you shall be a blessing;

3 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 will be blessed.”

Blessing:

people place protection program

5 instances of cursing:

Gen 3:14.

Gen 3:17.

Gen 4:11.

Gen 5:29.

Gen 9:25.

5 words of blessing

Although the world has been dark, God’s grace has been displayed

Ur was a pagan place… ziggurat.. pyramid with a flat top

Joshua 24:2 “2 Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.”

God called Abram out of a:

Pagan culture

Pagan family

Pagan LAND

To give him a godly culture

To give him a godly family

To inherit a godly land

Abram’s Obedience

Genesis 12:4 (NASB95)

4 So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

The faith of Abraham

Hebrews 11:8 “8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

Hebrews 11:9–10 (NASB95)

9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

75 years old!

Hebrews 11:13–16 (NASB95)

13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

Genesis 12:5–6 (NASB95)

5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.

6 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.

The cost of discipleship, is everything, we leave it ALL to follow God!

Romans 4:3 “3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.””

Abram’s Worship

Genesis 12:6–9 (NASB95)

6 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.

7 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.

8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain 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.

9 Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.

Depicts the journey of Abram… & his worship!

ALTER!

Represent the permanence of God’s promise

He has enough understanding, to build an alter, to sacrifice unto God

In likely the same PLACES where foreign gods had been worshipped… there he builds

CALLED ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

public prayer?

to proclaim the name of God?

Pitched his tent…

Ur… Haran… Canaan

He’s done this hundreds of times! Why is it mentioned here??

Bc It’s intentional! … there is something to be said, about him pitching his tent in the same place/area he built an alter

Genesis 13:3–4 (NASB95)

3 He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

The permanency of worship!

Conclusion:

It is the response of the call of God that we christians mimic today!

It is the our obedience to the will of God that we mimic today!

It is the exclusivity & permanency of our worship to GOD, that we mimic today!

God calls us through His word today… to leave our life behind & follow him.

Would you do that today?

Matthew 10:37–40 (NASB95)

37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

No-one is too old, or too young to follow Christ…