Life is a Journey of Faith
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Today, we are beginning a new series entitled “Life is a Journey”.
When I am referring to a journey as opposed to a stroll, I am implying that your life has purpose, growth, and even challenge.
Life is long, often unpredictable, and filled with choices and lessons to be learned and experienced.
In order to have a journey, usually means that you have a destination in mind, even if that destination changes along the way.
However, many people look at life and desire life to be pictured as a stroll, very relaxed and unhurried. Living in the moment without concern for where you are going. A stroll through life may be easier because of the avoidance of deep challenges or decisions. A stroll might be peaceful, but will lack depth and progress.
A stroll might feel nice, but a journey changes you.
The difference between a journey and a stroll comes down to our worldview.
So, today I want to begin a journey with you. I want to acknowledge right up front, it will not be easy, and even though it will not always feel nice, the journey will change you.
Over the next several weeks, we are going to follow the Journey of Life given to Abraham the great patriarch of both Judaism and Christianity.
A Journey has to be lived by FAITH.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Notice what the writer under the inspiration of God had to say about Abraham and his journey of Faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
You and I have a Journey in Life.
Peter states,
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
So, even though we are examining the life of a man that lived over 4,000 years ago, the desire of God has not changed.
So, open your Bibles to Genesis 12 and let us learn from the positive and negative choices of that great patriarch, Abraham.
No matter where you are on your journey, if you are on or off, now is the time get on track with God’s plan for you.
Through this series, we’ll learn how to live well & enjoy God's promises.
I want to remind you all this morning that You are loved by God; He knows your name. He has a plan for your life.
The question becomes,
Are you walking in faith and victory? Set your eyes on the promises of God. You only have one life journey; say yes to Jesus. Like Abraham, leave your past with all its entanglements behind. Do not stop halfway.
Let’s begin.
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
The Journey of Faith: Trust
The Journey of Faith: Trust
Begins with
Call - A Revelation.
Call - A Revelation.
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Faith cannot happen until God speaks.
Faith is a response of trust in what God has said.
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
So, How do we know Abraham’s journey was one of Faith?
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Abrahams, Faith and Call was not
Not Human Will
Not Human Will
It wasn’t a name it claim it desire of their own will to get anything he wanted.
This contrast is seen between chapter 11 and chapters 12.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
but chapter 12
The Lord said, and then in verse 2
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Not Human Works
Not Human Works
Abram was a Pagan Idolater when God called him.
God did not choose Abram for what he was; God chose Abram for what God knew He could make out him.
Abraham was chosen by grace.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Faith is not an act of human will but God’s I will.
Faith is not an act of human works, but God’s grace.
Not Human Wisdom
Not Human Wisdom
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Abraham didn’t need to understand. It is not human wisdom.
Faith is not getting it figured our.
Faith is not positive thinking.
Faith is not following a hunch.
Faith is not hoping for the best.
Fait is not a feeling of optimism.
The Journey of Faith is found in the Word of God.
Word of God
Word of God
God spoke to Abram and Abram simply stepped out on the Word of God.
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Nobody has ever had faith that has not first of all had a word from God.
Faith is Believing God. Trust.
Unless God speaks, you cannot believe.
The Journey of Faith : Obedience
The Journey of Faith : Obedience
If you trust God and the word to be a message from God and the message of God, then we will Obey.
Commission - A Separation.
Commission - A Separation.
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Commendation - An Appropriation.
Commendation - An Appropriation.
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
Our Journey of Faith:
Our Journey of Faith:
Determine Your Destiny
Your Decisions Determine Your Destiny.
Your Decisions Determine Your Destiny.
We are all on a journey. Life is a journey, beginning at birth, filled with choices. We are all headed somewhere. At times, we are not certain where life’s journey will take us.
You may need to ask yourself:
Am I headed in the right direction?
Do I know where I am going?
Have I considered the consequences of my decisions?
Have I arrived at my destination or do I continue?
What do I do when I get to a fork in the road? Do I settle down or continue and go left or right?
To reach the destination of life’s journey will take time, and there is a process. Often the process has its ups and downs, starts, and stops. The process is not always fun. The process will usually involve some right and wrong choices. The decisions and choices made in your journey will determine your physical and spiritual destiny.
Each one of us has a predetermined number of days to get through life’s journey.
How you walk through the journey physically, and the choices you make during life’s journey, will determine your physical and spiritual outcome at the end of your earthly journey.
Consider the following scriptures:
5 Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months are with thee, Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
15 My times are in thy hand: Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
These verses mean nothing to you if you refuse to believe in God.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
The verses mean nothing to you if you cannot acknowledge God as creator of the universe.
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
You and this universe did not just happen by chance. You were formed and created by God. You have a heart, soul, and a conscience.
One thought to consider: These verses will haunt you at the end of life’s journey if you think they are untrue.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Every person is on a physical and spiritual journey even if they choose not to acknowledge or believe it to be true.
Your life can change without warning. A virus pandemic; a job loss; a storm, or accident of some kind, can change your life in an instant.
The path you start out on may not be the path you follow all your life.
The path you start out on may not be the path you want to end on.
What you think today may not be what you come to know to be true tomorrow.
For example: studying for one profession yet serving and working in another. The life you live today may not have been your first choice.
The life you live today will change for better or worse depending on the choices you make.
Life’s journey is filled with choices:
Joy and pain.
Ups and downs.
Hopes and disappointments.
Questions and answers.
Faith and fear.
Wins and losses.
Doubts or faith.
Wondering or wandering.
Promises yet to be fulfilled.
Promises kept and unexpected situations.
Life’s journey will have some stops and starts, ups and downs, all along the way. It can also have a time of remembering when, and a time of retracing one’s steps, to correct some previous poor choices.
At times in life, we will make some bad choices and or wrong decisions; however, we can always get back on the right path if we will seek the Lord with all our hearts and obey the plans God has for us.
His plan for your life may not align with the personal desires or plans you have held on to for years.
Truth is,
Personal desires and Worldly desires can get in the way of God’s plan.
You may begin to follow the plan of God, but something happens, and you get sidelined for a time. Or something worse, you decide to stop listening to God. You may choose to stop or take a different path that leads away from God. You may find yourself stuck on the wrong path for a while, but if you will start making good choices, focusing on faith and obedience in God, you will find your life journey has changed and is no longer on the wrong path.
Life’s journey is a process; there are no good manmade shortcuts. Just ask Abraham.
When Abraham attempted to help God out, things got messy.
For example:
He wanted Sara to lie and say she was his sister to save his life.
He had a child with Hagar when Sara was to bear the child of promise.
Have you Acknowledged your wrong choices? We need to acknowledge our wrong choices and decide to believe, step out in faith, and trust in God.
The first step is always the hardest. To admit and learn from our wrong choices and decide to journey toward the blessing and promise of God is a huge first step of faith.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Get back to God’s Plans for you.
Get back to God’s Plans for you.
Abrahams journey appears to begin in Genesis 11 with his father Terah. They are living in Ur of the Chaldeans. Terah will take his son Abram, his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and Sarai (Abram’s wife), and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans and head for Canaan. But when they arrive at Haran, they decided to stop and settled there.
They stopped short of where they were headed.
In Genesis 11:32 we learn that Abraham’s father Terah dies in Haran at the age of 205. We cannot be sure of the reason why Terah chose to stop short and settle in Haran. It’s in Genesis 12 that I want to pick up Abrahams life journey.
Here we find God calling Abraham to step out in faith once again, and to go to a land that God would show him.
This life journey was a physical journey Abraham was to undertake, and yet it is also a spiritual journey. It is a physical and spiritual journey consisting of choices, both right and wrong, good and bad, a time of learning to walk in faith and trust God.
It is a journey to a physical land that was unknown and unseen by Abraham in that he had never traveled that way before. It was also a spiritual journey where
Abraham needed to learn to trust God and walk-in faith and obedience to God’s words.
In Gen 15:7, God reminded Abraham that it was God who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans. At times we need reminding to stay the course with God:
7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
How is your life journey going?
How is your life journey going?
Remember, you started your life journey at birth. But where are you now?
Are you walking in faith and victory?
Are you still living in Ur or are you on your way to Canaan?
Did you start out for Canaan, but have you stopped short and settled down in Haran?
God’s call to Abraham was to obey and leave for Canaan.
Have you heard the call of God yourself? A call to leave behind your past sins, past worldly desires and ties to trust Jesus? To step out in faith and continue life’s journey of trusting God?
The first step is the hardest.
Leave the past worldly lifestyle or Ur and Haran, and continue your life journey to the promised land with all the promises God has for you.
Abraham decided to leave Haran and continue the life journey God laid out before him. Remember, God called Abraham to leave his country and people back in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran.
Refrain from stopping short at your Haran.
I believe God gives every person ample time and reminders to obey his call. But sadly, not everyone says yes to God and they ignore and forfeit God’s blessing. Some need more reminders than others, but one day if a person refuses to respond, God’s grace will be withdrawn, and life’s journey will end.
Where will you be when life’s journey comes to an end? Ur, Haran or living and walking in faith and victory?
Will you be like Paul: obedient, believing in God’s promises, and turning away from his old ways; gaining the promises of God?
He used to persecute believers until God confronted him and called him to leave his old lifestyle and follow Jesus. Paul’s life journey changed that day. He turned his back on all that he once thought was important, and all the empty promises in life and followed Jesus. Paul chose to believe in the promises of God and receive the blessing of God and the righteousness of Christ.
Paul’s journey was a process. It was a physical journey and painful at times, but the spiritual journey and blessing of God was real and the promises of God true. In all this, Paul trusted God.
Or will you be like king Saul: disobedient, stubborn, blaming others, and hanging on to his old ways; missing out on God’s blessings?
King Saul was confronted by a prophet, but he ignored the need to change and continued down his physical and spiritual journey in rebellion to God. He didn’t do what God asked of him. Saul later attempts to blame others rather than to admit the truth. Saul was spiritually blind. He refused to listen and obey. His life choices of rebellion and disobedience kept him from the blessings of God.
Friends, the choices we make reveal our hearts and they will determine our physical and spiritual life’s journey. A life journey of obedience, faith and enjoying the promises of God; or a life’s journey filled with rebellion, fear and rejection of God’s call.
Step out in faith and like Abraham. Set your eyes on the promises of God.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.
You only have one life journey; say yes to Jesus. Like Abraham, leave your past with all its entanglements behind.
Do not stop halfway. Do not think you have time to decide another day.
Decide today that your life journey will end with enjoying the promises of God.
