Faith Like Abraham
Notes
Transcript
· Welcome
· When I was 15 finding what I wanted to do story
o Told the Gospel to my friend
§ Fell back on old ways
§ 2 years ago I got the opportunity to do it again
· He moved away but was going to move forward in his faith
o Continue to do this in my business now
· Hebrews 11:8-16
o By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 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. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
· BY FAITH
o God promised Abraham to make a great nation
· The GOAT
o Abraham is the GOAT
§ Isn’t Jesus the GOAT
· Yes but he was God too
· Abraham background
o Living in a place where he had everything he needed
o The culture had many Gods
§ There was a God for everything
o He worshiped and prayed to these Gods
§ He had a god for this and a god for that
o BUT Abraham heard God’s voice
§ He knew that God was the one true God
o He left a technological superpower
· Hebrews 11:9
o By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise
o He lived in tents!
§ Could you do that?
· Leave the comfortable home you live in now and walk for miles and live in a tent in a far off land
· I don’t know if I could
§ This is what stepping out in faith is.
§ Abraham picked up and left. And two generations after Abraham lived in tents too!
§ I would not want to subject my kids to the wilderness
· But if God came to me and told me to pick up and leave I would go.
o I may not be happy, I like the luxuries of my life, but I would go
· Abraham is out model
o He heard the distinct voice of God, dropped everything and left
§ He left the comfort of his amazing city and went
o He did. Not drop everything though
§ He brought his family, but he still left the place he called his home for a long time.
o He didn’t know where he was going or what for, but he went
o We step out in our faith today because of faithful followers like Abraham who came before us.
· Abraham’s culture was vastly different before he left
o He lived counterculturally
§ He went from many god’s to having one God of his life.
· The one true God that would fulfill his promises.
o Are you living counterculturally?
§ This is what we do when we step out in our faith.
· 1 example
o Use of screens.
§ Put down the Netflix, youtube, insta, snapchat
· Instead have meaningful converstaions
· Read your bible
· Meditate on God’s Word
· Pray
§ Focus on showing your faith outwardly
§ Let your friends call you crazy or make jokes
· If they don’t support you maybe you need to pray about who your friends are.
o Surround yourself with people who are willing to step out in their faith
o Hebrews 11:8
§ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
§ God spoke, Abraham listened.
· Have you heard God’s voice?
o It may not be physical, but the urge to change up what you are doing or to do something you didn’t think of doing
o The best way to hear God’s voice is to read God’s Word
§ The Spirit will work within you and direct you to live more faithfully.
§ The story I told in the beginning is not the whole story
· I listened, I stepped out, I went to school for ministry
o Had a bad experience
o Thought I was doing the wrong thing
o Fell into a spiral of being adjacent to God not walking in line with what he wants.
o But I heard God’s voice again
§ What changed? How did I hear the call?
· I was back reading my bible a lot and praying a lot.
· Stepping out in faith usually means you don’t know where your going or how to get there
o It is like putting on a blindfold and walking around
§ Sometimes its hard
§ Sometimes there will be direction and instruction
§ Sometimes it will be like climbing a mountain with a helicopter
§ Sometimes it will be like rowing up a river without a paddle
o The end result is always worth the struggle
o My business
§ Successful
§ Put 10 years of my life into it
§ Made a lot of friends
§ But hearing God’s voice and being obedient to the call I will no longer be working in it and eventually selling it
§ The obedience to God’s call and the struggle and sacrifices im making
· Sacrificing my business
· Taking on student loan debt
· Losing time with my family
§ It will be worth it
· Stepping out in our faith we have to trust that God will provide
o Abraham trusted God’s provisions
§ God provided a land to live in
§ Water
§ Food
§ Promises about being a great nation
· Jesus came from David who came from Abraham
· Hebrews 11:15-16
o If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one
o Did Abraham and his family miss their homeland
§ Probably
§ Abraham knew his obedience and the fruit of his labor would be worth it
· He was going to be in a better City, a better Nation, a better kingdom
o Ur had everything Abraham needed
§ BUT he needed to work hard for them
§ God provided everything Abraham needed
· He still had to work for it, but the end result will be more fulfilling
· He would be the provider of an entire nation
· Like Ethan said last week stepping out in faith is a forward moving thing
o Walking in faith is a long, long road
o We think that when we ask God for things he will answer on our timeframe
o God works on his own timeframe
§ We think we know the road and details
· But more often than not God’s road and details are different than what we think
§ The forward movement may not seem like it is going anywhere, but God moves us forward in the perfect timeframe to advance God’s church and people.
· 2 Corinthians 5:7
o For we live by faith, not sight.
§ This is one of the hardest things to do
§ Put on blindfold
o When God calls you do go will you obey and go?
§ I urge you to go
§ Listen to the call
§ Embrace the unknown
§ You may never see the fruit of your faith or the outcome
o Hebrews 11:13
§ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.
§ Abraham never saw the fruits of his labor on the earth
· BUT he gets to enjoy the privilege of spending eternity with God in heaven.
o Step out in your faith like Abraham did and become one of the greats
· As the Worship team comes up will you pray with me?
· Father God, Thank you for your promise of eternal life. Thank you for your love. Thank you for making yourself known to us and giving us your Word. I pray that I am able to continue to step out in my faith and these students do as well. Thank you for the leaders that these students have as a model of stepping out in their faith. I pray for the Spirit to come into each and every one of these groups and give them the strength to step out in their faith. I pray that I could be like Abraham and remain faithful and gain the inheritance promised to me in your heavenly kingdom. I pray that through faith these students and leaders and staff at CrossWay give the world their faithful leadership to shepherd in more disciples of you everywhere they go. Thank you for your grace and for your provisions. I pray all this in the powerful name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.
