A Blessing to the Nations

God keeps His promises.

Last week we began a new sermon series—Promise Kept—and we’re tracing God’s unfolding promise to redeem His people, a promise that culminates in the birth of Jesus.

If you weren’t here, you can catch the sermon online, but here’s the short recap:

God created humanity upright, able to choose good, yet Adam chose rebellion. Sin and misery entered the world—but so did a promise. In Genesis 3:15, God declared that a Redeemer would come, the Seed who would crush the serpent.

Today we see that promise take shape as God promises to create a people for Himself through Abraham.

And as we read Abraham’s story, we discover something essential about God’s heart: He calls the unlikely. He takes people who seem insignificant, unqualified, or even disinterested—and brings them into His covenant purposes.

When we think of Abraham, we probably picture the faithful patriarch who followed God wholeheartedly. But that’s not where he began. His story doesn’t highlight Abraham’s greatness—it highlights God’s grace.

Because the hero of Abraham’s story isn’t Abraham. It’s …

I. The God Who Graciously Calls the Unlikely.

Genesis 12:1 “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.”

So here’s the call on Abram at the beginning of our text…but let’s first consider who Abram was as God called him.

Before God calls Abram, Scripture gives us a surprisingly honest picture of the man who will become the father of God’s people—and it’s not flattering.

Genesis 11 comes right after the Tower of Babel, where humanity once again tries to seize God’s place, make a name for themselves, and refuse God’s command to fill the earth. After God scatters the nations, the story zooms in to one man: Abram. And what we learn about him at the end of Genesis 11 makes it clear he is, humanly speaking, utterly unfit to be the father of God’s people.

First, Abram comes from the wrong place.

Genesis 11 tells us he was from Ur of the Chaldeans—the cultural and religious heartland of ancient Mesopotamia. Ur was not a quiet, rural town. It was a thriving pagan metropolis devoted to idolatry. Their chief god was the moon deity Nan-na. This is the spiritual air Abram breathed.

And Scripture is very clear about this. Joshua 24:2 says: “Terah, the father of Abraham… served other gods.”

Abram didn’t grow up worshiping the Lord. He grew up surrounded by idols, shaped by them, and participating in the religion of his father. He was not seeking God. God sought him.

Second, Abram comes from the wrong household.

He is part of his father’s house, but Moses highlights a painful detail in Genesis 11:30: “Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.”

In the ancient world, barrenness meant the end of the family line. No heir, no name, no future. So here stands Abram, whose very name means “exalted father”—yet he cannot father a child. The man whose name promises greatness carries the weight of an empty future.

Third, Abram is not even on his own journey of faith.

Genesis 11 tells us it was Terah—not Abram—who decided to leave Ur. Abram simply follows the patriarchal head of household. They set out for Canaan, but they never make it. They stop and settle in Haran, some 600+ miles short of the promised land, perhaps due to Terah’s age and health. We don’t know. But what we do know is this:

Abram didn’t choose Canaan. He didn’t initiate anything. He just settled where his father settled.

So when Genesis 12 opens with God’s voice breaking into Abram’s life, we should feel the weight of grace.

Abram is a pagan. He’s from an idolatrous land. He belongs to an idol-worshiping household. He has no child and no future. He has no spiritual résumé. He is going nowhere toward God.

Yet this is the man God calls.

This is the man God chooses to bless.

The man God promises to make into a great nation.

Genesis 12 doesn’t begin with human potential. It begins with God’s sovereign grace. And this is good news for us.

Why is this good news for us?

Abram is the most unlikely person to be called by God IF God called men according to human standards.

But all throughout scripture God calls people just as unlikely as Abram to do His great works.

Paul reminds the Corinthian believers of this in 1 Corinthians 1:26–27 “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;”

Friends—the fact that God calls the unlikely and those who are weak and foolish is great news for us because so were we when God called us.

This rakes against our flesh because we desire to think of ourselves as powerful, lofty, wise, and worthy. We desire equality with God—that was part of the sin of the garden—we despise our creatureliness and our limitations. Because we equate value and worth with ability.

Friends—God loves you because He loves you. There was nothing about you that persuaded Him to love you.

He didn’t cast his love on you because you were impressive—or strong—or spiritually desirable.

His love begins in Himself, not in your performance.

God set His love on Abram for no reason in Abram. Abram was pagan, barren, and spiritually blind—and God loved him. God’s choice rested entirely on His sovereign grace.

And this is a comforting truth for us friends—why?

I used to have long, flowing hair. I used to have a much more athletic frame. Imagine if Vickery had married me for my hair or muscles? If that was what persuaded my wife to love me—then I could expect that her love would fade as those things change. But our love for each other isn’t rooted in our impressiveness—it’s rooted in covenant commitment.

When we see Abram before God calls him— it reminds us of the pure love of God for his people. In a world that is constantly telling us that we aren’t enough and that our value is based on our performance— this is welcome and restful news.

Son and daughter of God—your heavenly Father loves you and this will never change because it is based on God Himself who never changes.

So God who is faithful to keep his promise to bring a redeemer calls the most unlikely man to continue bringing that promise about. Let us look now to…

II. The Promises Given.

Genesis 12:1 says “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.”

God’s covenant with Abraham unfolds throughout Genesis 12-17.

We see God call Abram and give the promise of land in 12. In chapter 15 we see God promise offspring to Abram, who then becomes Abraham because God’s promises are sure. And in 17 God gives the covenant, the covenant sign of circumcision as a visible reminder of God’s promise and faithfulness.

When we read through this portion of scripture we should not see these as different covenants God is making with Abraham—one for blessing—one for land—and one for offspring.

Rather, When we read Genesis 12, 15, and 17, we’re not looking at three different covenants. We’re looking at one covenant—one promise—unfolding like a flower throughout the day. This was an image the reformers often used. Genesis 12 is the bud. Genesis 15 is the bloom. Genesis 17 is the full flower. It’s one covenant revealed in stages, each chapter opening the promise a little more.

And what does God promise Abraham? Three things—three strands woven into one covenantal rope—but notice how they unfold in Scripture.

1. Blessing to Abram and all the families of the earth.

God begins with the broadest promise: through Abraham all families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:1–3). This is the promise that God’s favor, mercy, and purpose for the world will flow through Abraham’s life. Paul later confirms in Galatians 3:8 that this blessing extends to all nations.

In Genesis 12:2–3a “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. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse…”

When God says this he’s not just protecting the name of Abram.

God is saying: “Abram, anyone who aligns themselves with you—your God, your calling, your promise—will receive blessing. And anyone who opposes you, or opposes My covenant purposes through you, will fall under judgment.”

In other words, God is publicly pledging His loyalty to Abraham and the covenant mission.

As the covenant God is making with Abram progresses we see in Genesis 12:7 a promise of…

2. Land

God narrows the promise to a place. In Genesis 12:7, He promises Abraham the land of Canaan.

Genesis 12:7 “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

This is the stage on which God’s covenant purposes will be worked out. Later chapters expand on the boundaries and inheritance, showing that God is establishing a permanent place for His covenant people.

He’s giving them a home and a heritage.

And then the most important promise is given. Abram, whose name ironically means “exalted Father” is childless. How will a people come from Him? What will the Lord God do? God promises him offspring.

3. Offspring (Seed)

Let’s go to Genesis 15:1–6 and read

“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.” 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?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 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.” 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.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Here we see something really important—this covenant with Abram is a covenant of faith.

Abram’s faith has been implied up to this point—God appears to him and calls him to go to the land he will show him and Abram believes God and goes.

But here in chapter 15 what has been implied is explicitly stated. God tells Abram something impossible will happen and verse 6 of chapter 15 says, “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

God’s people have always been made righteous through faith—just as we have faith in the promise of Christ so too did they—but for them the promise was veiled and we now see it clearly in the face of Christ.

The saints of God span the Old and New Testaments and continue on today right here in this room—we are all one people of God saved by grace through faith.

So God has promised that Abraham will be a blessing to the all the earth, he has promised land for his people, he has promised offspring to Abraham, and then God gives a

4. Covenant sign.

In Genesis 17, God gives Abraham a sign of this covenant—circumcision. It’s a visible, tangible reminder that God’s promises are sure.

This sign is a gospel sign showing that sin needed to be cut away and that forgiveness of sin involved the shedding of blood.

Circumcision wasn’t just a ritual—it was a visible reminder that God’s covenant is real and binding. Every time the ceremony was observed God’s people remembered. Every time a mother changed a baby or a couple came together—God’s promises were remembered.

We see the same principle in the Lord’s Supper today. The Supper is not just ritual or mere observance—it is a meal of faith that points us to the promises of the gospel, to Christ who secures the covenant. As we take the bread and the wine, the grace that is ours in the gospel strengthens us. God uses His covenant signs to strengthen His covenant people, then and now.

Which is why we take of the table every Sunday because as often as we come there is grace and strength from God’s people through the covenant sign of the table.

In all these promises Abraham believed—though he couldn’t see or grasp the promise—he believed in the one giving the promise and then acted in obedience.

Friends, that’s exactly the posture God calls us to today. Just as Abraham responded in faith to a promise he couldn’t yet fully grasp, we are called to trust God’s promises, even when our circumstances make them seem impossible. And this leads us to ask: How do we live in light of God’s promises?” A couple points of application here for us this morning.

Living in Light of God’s Promises

Trust God’s promises, even when they seem impossible

Abram was childless. He had no natural reason to believe he would become the father of a great nation. Yet he trusted God’s word.

We, too, face situations that seem impossible—familial struggles, financial burdens, health crises, spiritual doubts. God calls us to trust His promises, even when the evidence seems lacking.

So know the promises of God that are yours in the gospel—that God is the giver of peace, that God supplies all your needs, that death will not be the end of you—know and believe that nothing will separate you from the love of God—these are but a few of God’s promises to His people. Trust them in the midst of your life.

Rest in God’s covenantal loyalty

God pledged His loyalty to Abram: “I will bless those who bless you….” God bound Himself to His covenant purposes.

We can take comfort that God is committed to His people and His promises. His faithfulness does not depend on us, our merit, or our performance. God is faithful even when we are weak, wandering, or uncertain.

So when you have found yourself to be unworthy and weak and have failed again—rest in God because He loves you still.

This is the heart of the gospel—God will be faithful to you even when your faith falters.

Let the unending rich love of God for you in Christ bear you up again to your feet—set your face toward the Lord and walk in His footsteps—He’s calling for you.

Respond with obedience, not self-reliance

Abram left Ur at God’s command. He didn’t wait until he fully understood the plan or had all the resources.

God calls us to leave behind what we depend on—our plans, our self-sufficiency, because these things often become our idols—

God calls us to leave them and to step into His direction by faith. Obedience often comes before clarity, just as it did for Abram.

What is God calling you to obey in this stage of your life? And are you waiting for all the details before you obey?

When God call us to do something we can rest assured that it is the right thing to do—even when we can’t see how it’ll all play out.

We also remember that

Faith is counted as righteousness

Genesis 15:6 shows us the heart of the covenant: faith, not works, is how Abram is made right with God.

For us today, this is a reminder that our standing before God does not come from our accomplishments, moral effort, or religious activity. Our faith in God and His promises is what matters.

There are four ways that God’s call of Abraham encourages us to respond. But before we close today there is one great thing we must see and savor this morning. And that is…

III. Christ, the Promise Keeper.

Abraham saw the promises from a distance. We see them fulfilled in full light. Every thread of God’s covenant with Abraham—blessing, land, and offspring—finds its true and ultimate completion in Jesus Christ.

1. Christ is the Blessing to the Nations

God promised Abram, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” How? Not because Abram was impressive, but because God would bring a universal Savior from his line.

Galatians 3 tells us plainly: the blessing promised to Abraham is the blessing of salvation through Christ.

Through Jesus, forgiveness is offered to all nations. Through Jesus, reconciliation with God is extended to the ends of the earth. Through Jesus, the curse of sin is broken and the blessing of righteousness is given to all who believe.

Every time a sinner comes to saving faith, the promise made to Abraham is being fulfilled in real time.

2. Christ is the True Land — the Place God Dwells With His People

The land of Canaan was never the final destination; it was the shadow of a greater reality. Hebrews 11 tells us Abraham knew this—he was looking for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

That city comes to us in Christ.

In Him, God dwells with His people. In Him, heaven and earth meet. In Him, we are brought into the household of God and given an inheritance that cannot fade.

The physical land pointed to a spiritual reality: the presence of God with His people forever. Christ brings us home.

And one day Christ will come again and give that home a physical place in a new Heavens and Earth with a holy city where all God’s people will dwell.

Christ is the true land, also..

3. Christ is the Promised Offspring

God told Abraham, “So shall your offspring be.” Paul tells us in Galatians 3:16 that this “offspring” ultimately refers to one person—Christ.

He is the true Son who succeeds where every other son of Abraham failed. He is the faithful Israelite who perfectly keeps the covenant. He is the One through whom God builds a people more numerous than the stars Abraham once gazed at under the night sky.

And by faith in Christ, we are grafted into that promise. We become Abraham’s children and heirs of the covenant by grace.

So What Do We Do With This Revelation that Christ is the fulfillment of all God’s promises to Abraham?

We Trust Christ as Abraham Trusted God

Abraham believed God when the promise seemed impossible. And God counted it to him as righteousness.

Friends, that is the invitation before you today.

Christ is the fulfillment of every covenant promise. Christ is the blessing. Christ is the true home. Christ is the promised Son who comes to us on Christmas.

If you are looking for something to fulfill you other than Christ than you are looking in the wrong place and looking in vain.

Have you done that yet? Have you believed in Christ for salvation? Like Abraham, the call on you is not to perform but to believe.

Not to prove yourself worthy, but to entrust yourself to the God who keeps His word. We don’t bring our résumé, we bring our need. Friends, don’t wait until you see how everything will work out, but rest in the God who already worked it out at the cross and in the empty tomb.

Believe the gospel: The righteousness that God requires is the righteousness God provides—through faith in Christ alone.

So, brothers and sisters, look to Him. Trust Him. Walk with Him. And just like Abraham, you will find that every promise God makes to you is yes and amen in Jesus Christ.

As cheesy as it sounds—Jesus really is the reason for the season—this is the greatest gift you’ve ever been given!

Conclusion

When we look at Abraham’s story, we’re meant to see more than an ancient man called out of a distant land. We’re meant to see the heart of the God who calls us. A God who chooses the unlikely. A God who binds Himself to His people in covenant love. A God who keeps every promise He makes.

And in Christ, we see that faithfulness on full display.

You and I are called to step forward in faith like Abraham. We don’t know all the details. We rarely see the full picture. But we know the One who calls us, and the One who calls is faithful.

Trust Me. Walk with Me. Follow Me. God says.

God kept His promise to Abraham. God kept His promise in Christ. And He will keep His promise to you.

So walk forward in faith church, amen?