Pursuing Gods will

Causes a Crisis of Belief

Genesis 12:1-4

Intro:

We all are facing a crisis of belief.

What is a crisis of belief?

“a decision we must make about the word of God”

Which road will your take?

Through out the bible every time God spoke it causes a decision to be made by the ones hearing the words of God.

Examples:

Noah, Peter, Paul,

Hebrews 11Hebrews 11 (NABWRNT)

Chapter 11

1 † Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence † of things not seen.

2 Because of it the ancients were well attested.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, † so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.

4 † By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.

I. There’s a place in Gods Will For You No Matter What Your Age or Past: (12:1-4)

a. Abram was 75 years old

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.[1]

b. God calls Him to do the big move

gen 11:31

God called Abram out of the land of Ur, however, his family also traveled with him then end up staying in Harran for some years.

1. Away from his family roots-not heard of in his day

2. What is God calling you to do?

First: to be saved

Second : serve Him

Third: ?

What is God saying to you today?

God is speaking to you through his word.

II. Don’t Settle For Second Best:(11:31,32)

Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell” (Acts 7:2–4). Abraham obeyed God by leaving his home, his business, and the high civilization of Ur, “not knowing whither he went.” Yet it was not complete obedience because we read that he took with him some of his family. He took with him his father, Terah, and God had told Abraham not to take him. Why was it that God wanted to get him out of the land and away from his relatives? We learn the answer in the book of Joshua. “… Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods” (Josh. 24:2). They served other gods—Abraham was an idolater. The world was pretty far gone at that time.[2]

a. God gave his word and Abram had a crisis of belief

Do I leave my Father behind?

b. Many times we settle for second best

c. Abram settled in Haran he was to go farther

it like us saying “ I hear YOU God say I must …. But I

d. the crisis of belief

Will we hear God and say to Him I just can not belief you Lord!

Haran is the place of second best. It sounds like home. It is comfortable. It is sensible. But it is the place of second best. The words of verse ring somberly in our ears, Terah lived 205 years and DIED IN HARAN! Haran is the place of death. I do not mean eternal death. But when we choose the second best over Gods best for our lives, we invite spiritual death to take over. Our passion for God turns to tradition and convenience.

III. The lesson is that pursuing Gods will involve being called out of our

Comfort

Now the Lord said to Abram, Get out of your country, from your family and from your fathers house, to a land I will show you.(12:1)

I do not want to mislead you. Pursuing Gods will is never easy. We sing the chorus I’ll go where you want me to go dear Lord, I’over mountian, valley or sea. I’ll say what you want me to say dear Lord, I’ll be what you want me to be.”

Then you sense God saying to teach that Sunday school class of junior high boys. God tells you to make a pie for that obnoxious neighbor. God leads you to witness to the high school drug dealer.

Your answer? I can’t do that. I’m not qualified. I’m too young. Or my favorite, “I don’t think God would have me do that.”

What we are saying really is, I don’t want to leave my comfort zone.

When God calls you to do His will, He may very well wrench you away from that which is familiar to you, that which causes you to build your security upon things you know, rather than upon what you know about him. (Hayford p.18)

! It has been wisely said that it is better to follow the Lord and not know exacltly where you are going, then to think you know where you are going, and not be following the Lord. (Hayford, p.20)

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[1]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

[2]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville