Father Abraham

Father Abraham Genesis 15:1-6

Introduction

My child arrived just the other day He came to the world in the usual way But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay He learned to walk while I was away And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew He'd say "I'm gonna be like you, dad" "You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man in the moon "When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when" But we'll get together then You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day He said, thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play Can you teach me to throw, I said, not today I got a lot to do, he said, that's okay And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed It said, I'm gonna be like him, yeah You know I'm gonna be like him

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man in the moon "When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when" But we'll get together then You know we'll have a good time then

Well, he came from college just the other day So much like a man I just had to say Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while? He shook his head, and he said with a smile What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys See you later, can I have them please?

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man in the moon "When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when" But we'll get together then, dad You know we'll have a good time then

I've long since retired and my son's moved away I called him up just the other day I said, I'd like to see you if you don't mind He said, I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kids have the flu But it's sure nice talking to you, dad It's been sure nice talking to you And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me He'd grown up just like me My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man in the moon "When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when" But we'll get together then, dad We're gonna have a good time then

There is a bonding that takes place between father and son. Generally that bond takes place side by side working together, playing together, being together. Our society today lacks the bonding Harry wrote about more than 40 years ago.

Were busy. We have planes to catch and bills to pay, there is entertainment of every kind, a tear in our moral fabric leaving moms to raise kids alone, and the cycle repeats itself.

Easily identified, cyclical poverty due to a lack of education, hopelessness, underdeveloped areas, and a pattern of surviving verse planning, leaves us with a picture we can easily see. What we fail to see is the number of dad’s lacking the moral courage, living in a cycle of Hollywood Horror, leaving 24 million, or 1 in 3 children in a fatherless home.

Capitalism, success, portability, the next big thing, looseness, a sinister lack of moral compass, and our eyes off God lead us in a decay that will cripple our nation from the inside out. We will not be defeated militarily, and probably not economically, but eventually we will be exiled by God to a confused nation that can’t act in its own best interest. Paul wrote:

2 Timothy 3:2–5 NKJV

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Marriage has become a legal issue, a contract, not a sacrament in the eyes of God.

When will we sacrifice in prayer and fasting to bring a change to the moral decay?

Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham, I am one of them and so are you so let’s just praise the Lord...

A Life that pleases God (Frank Moore)

God has placed Abraham’s story in the Bible as an example of a man who followed God and pleased Him.

To this very day, 4000 years later, Abraham’s light shines as a bright beacon directing us to be a life pleasing to God

God calls Abraham His friend

Abraham’s Life was much like ours

Work-chores

Mind your own business-tend to the flock

Home life-tend to the family

Family events

Good days, bad days, sunshine and rain

Abraham possessed something we all should strive for

Childlike faith

Abram believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness

Righteousness: to be right, fair, just, straight, or equal. Correct judgment, righteous acts, one who is right in character and action

Abraham was all of these before God

Abraham had a call

walk before me faithfully and be blameless

Blameless does not imply perfect, but a person wholeheartedly seeking to do God’s will

Blameless, is one of the great signs of Holiness in the human heart

It was Abraham’s daily walk with God that resulted in Him being declared blameless by God

Perfect He was not

He lied to the Egyptian Pharoah about Sarah being his wife

He and Sarah frustrated God’s plan for a child by having Hagar serve as a surrogate mother 16:3

Still Abraham sought to find and do God’s will

Dad, don’t wallow in mistakes. Say iI’m sorry, get up and trust God to help make you better

God had not fully revealed himself yet

Abraham lived in a day when there was limited understanding of God

God had given a few special revelations

God had not revealed Himself as he has today through Jesus Christ

Abraham lived an exemplary life with limited information about God

Abraham made God Lord of his life

We have the scriptures, Jesus death and resurrection, we know Jesus personally and can have a relationship with Him, we have the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, we call him daddy

He is righteous, He is faithful, He is just. He is light, love, living water

Are we allowing the days to pass without saying what needs to be said, doing what needs to be done

Will we awake one day and say, I’ve long since retired, my sons moved away, I called him up just the other day...

Or, will we recognize God’s promises

Will we recognize He is fully capable of accomplishing all His promises

The covenant God made with Abraham isn’t unlike the covenant He makes with you and me: it will be everlasting

Abraham is Tested

Genesis

Genesis 22:1–19 NKJV

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

Dad, be present

Dad, be accountable

Dad, be flexible

Dad, lead your home with Christ as your head

Dad, lead your children to Christ. When possible, lead them in the sinners prayer and teach them, show them Jesus

Baptism