Blessed to be a blessing VI

Galatians 3: 6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.

Review

Great Faith is demonstrated by…believing

“If you believe you will leave”

o “If you believe you will wait on the Lord”

“If you believe you will trust the Lord to take care of you”
“If you believe you will See”

Today

“If you believe you will trust the Lord to fight for you”

Genesis 14: 1-9 At this time…under bondage and they rebelled. —four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. (they rebelled and lost the battle and ended up in slavery.) 13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.

14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive…

He called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit

What? 318 men against 4 armies.

Insane? What kind of man was this that he trusted God enough to go against four armies with so few men? * Was there a chance to lose? YES! Was he afraid? YES! Were his men afraid? YES! Did he still go? YES!

Faith does it afraid!

1 Samuel 14: 6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

Romans 8: 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What did Abram learn till now? The Lord said “I will make, bless, show, defend, lead, give…”

Going to Hebron — a community; alliance

God intended Abram to be his people!
An alliance with God

Genesis 17: 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

Gen 12:2

Leave this country: The place of familiarity: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you
People: The place where he could depend on people for help: I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing
Father’s household: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”