Shaped By Where We Come From
Notes
Transcript
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AT THE ANNUAL FAMILY-REUNION
PICNIC,
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• A YOUNG BRIDE LED HER HUSBAND
OVER
• TO AN OLD WOMAN CROCHETING IN A
ROCKING CHAIR
• "GRANNY," SHE SAID, TOUCHING THE
OLD WOMAN'S HAND AFFECTIONATELY,
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• "THIS IS MY NEW HUSBAND."
• THE WOMAN EYED HIM CRITICALLY
FOR A LONG MOMENT,
• THEN ASKED ABRUPTLY, "DO YOU
DESIRE CHILDREN?"
• STARTLED BY HER BLUNTNESS, THE
YOUNG MAN BLUSHED AND SAID,
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• "WELL-UH-YES, I DO VERY MUCH."
• "WELL," SHE SAID, LOOKING
• AT THE LARGE TRIBE GATHERED
AROUND THE SIX PICNIC TABLES,
• "TRY TO CONTROL YOUR SELF!"
• FAMILIES ARE PART OF LIFE
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• MAYBE YOU CAME FROM A BIG
FAMILY
• MAYBE YOU CAME FROM A SMALL
FAMILY
• MAYBE YOU GOT ALONG GREAT
WITH YOUR FAMILY
• MAYBE YOU DID NOT GET ALONG SO
GOOD WITH THEM
• MAYBE YOU NEVER EVEN MET
YOUR FAMILY
• BUT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
OUR FAMILIES SHAPED OUR
LIVES
• AS CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND
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• THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH
OUR FAMILIES SHAPED OUR LIVES
• WE SHOULD NEVER LET WHERE
WE CAME FROM
• LIMIT HOW WE SERVE GOD
• TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK
AT
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• THE FAMILY OF A VERY IMPORTANT
BIBLICAL FIGURE
• TURN TO GENESIS 11:27
• MOSES HAD JUST TOLD HIS AUDIENCE
• THE GENEALOGY FROM SHEM TO
ABRAM
• HE DID THIS TO CONNECT THE
PROMISES AND THE BLESSINGS
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• FROM ADAM THROUGH NOAH
TO SHEM
• AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO
ABRAM
• MOSES NOW GIVES DETAILS
ABOUT ABRAM’S FAMILY
GENESIS 11:27–28
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NOW THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE
GENERATIONS OF TERAH. TERAH
BECAME THE FATHER OF ABRAM, NAHOR
AND HARAN; AND HARAN BECAME THE
FATHER OF LOT. HARAN DIED IN THE
PRESENCE OF HIS FATHER TERAH IN THE
LAND OF HIS BIRTH, IN UR OF THE
CHALDEANS.
WE ALL COME FROM SINNERS
• THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF
THOSE GENEALOGIES
• BUT THIS ONE IS A LITTLE
DIFFERENT
• THE PURPOSE OF MOST
GENEALOGIES
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• IS TO CONNECT EVENTS IN ONE
TIME PERIOD
• TO EVENTS IN A PREVIOUS TIME
PERIOD
• TO SHOW HOW WE GOT FROM
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
• TO WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW
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• BUT THE PURPOSE OF THIS
GENEALOGY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
• THIS GENEALOGY IS HERE TO
PROVIDE THE BACKGROUND
• FOR UNDERSTANDING EVENTS THAT
ARE GOING TO HAPPEN
• IN THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT OF
ABRAM’S LIFE (PAUSE)
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• NOW AT FIRST GLANCE THIS MAY
NOT LOOK LIKE MUCH
• HE JUST TELLS US THE NAMES OF
HIS FATHER AND BROTHERS
• HE TELLS US OF HIS NEPHEW LOT
• AND HE TELLS US THE LAND OF
HIS BIRTH
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• BUT TO THE PEOPLE MOSES IS
WRITING THIS TO
• THIS WOULD TELL THEM A GREAT
DEAL
• JUST KNOWING THAT TERAH WAS
HIS FATHER WOULD
• TELL THEM SOMETHING IMPORTANT
JOSHUA 24:2
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JOSHUA SAID TO ALL THE PEOPLE, “THUS
SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,
‘FROM ANCIENT TIMES YOUR FATHERS
LIVED BEYOND THE RIVER, NAMELY,
TERAH, THE FATHER OF ABRAHAM AND
THE FATHER OF NAHOR, AND THEY
SERVED OTHER GODS.
• JOSHUA SAID THAT TEREAH
HAD SERVED “OTHER GODS”
• THIS IS LITERALLY THE EXACT
SAME WORDS
• USED IN THE FIRST
COMMANDMENT
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EXODUS 20:3
“YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS
BEFORE ME.
• NOW I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS
COMMANDMENT
• HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN AT THE TIME
TERAH SERVED OTHER GODS
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• BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND GOD DOES
NOT CHANGE (PAUSE)
• EVEN IF THE COMMANDMENT HAD
NOT BEEN GIVEN
• IT WAS STILL JUST AS MUCH A SIN
TO SERVE OTHER GODS (PAUSE)
• SO ABRAM COMES FROM A FAMILY
WITH SINNERS IN IT
• DON’T WE ALL
• NO MATTER WHO RAISED US,
PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS
• IF WE WERE ADOPTED, RAISED
IN FOSTER CARE
• NO MATTER WHO RAISED US
THEY WERE HUMAN
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• AND THAT MEANS THEY WERE
SINNERS
• THAT MEANS THEY MADE
MISTAKES
• MESSED UP, DID WRONG, FAILED
• WE MUST UNDERSTAND THIS
(PAUSE)
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• AND WE MUST NOT LET IT LIMIT
HOW WE SERVE GOD
• WE HAVE BEEN BORN ANEW
• WE ARE NOW CHILDREN OF GOD
• WITH A NEW FATHER, ONE
WITHOUT SIN
• WHO HAS FREED US FROM SIN
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• AND HAS GIVEN US THE HOLY
SPIRIT TO DWELL IN US
• WHEN WE YIELD TO HIM WE
CAN SERVE GOD TO THE
UTMOST (PAUSE)
• WE DON’T JUST COME FROM A
FAMILY WITH SINNERS IN IT
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WE ALL COME FROM A LAND
OF IDOLATERS
• THE TEXT DESCRIBES THE LAND
OF TERAH’S BIRTH
• AS UR OF THE CHALDEANS
• ARCHEOLOGIST HAVE FOUND
OUT QUITE A BIT
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• ABOUT UR OF THE CHALDEANS.
• IT IS ESTIMATED THAT AS MANY
AS 24,000 PEOPLE LIVED THERE
• IT WAS SOPHISTICATED FOR ITS
DAY
• THEY PRACTICED SUMERIAN
LAW (PAUSE)
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• AND THEY WERE IDOLATERS OF THE
HIGHEST ORDER
• IT IS VERY LIKELY THE “OTHER GOD”
TERAH WORSHIPPED WERE
SUMERIAN
• THESE GODS TOOK THE FORM OF
IDOLS
• SACRIFICES WERE MADE TO THEM
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• THIS IS THE WORLD THAT
ABRAM CAME OUT OF (PAUSE)
• EVERYONE OF US CAME OUT OF
A SIMILAR WORLD
• OK SO MAYBE THE IDOLS
• IN THE WORLD WE CAME OUT
OF DID NOT LOOK LIKE
• SUMERIAN STATUES OF MEN WITH
ANIMAL HEADS
• BUT WE ALL GREW UP IN A WORLD
THAT MADE HAD IDOLS
• MAYBE THEY WERE MOVIE STARS,
MAYBE ATHLETES
• OR MUSICIANS… OR MAYBE THE
IDOLS WERE MONEY
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• OR POWER, FAME, SEX, ALCOHOL
• BUT TRUST ME WE ALL COME
FROM A WORLD FILLED WITH
IDOLS
• THINGS PEOPLE PUT ABOVE
GOD, THINGS PEOPLE SACRIFICE
TO
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• THINGS PEOPLE WORSHIP AND
ADORE. (PAUSE)
• WE NEED TO BE VERY AWARE
OF WHAT IDOLS
• WERE WORSHIPPED AROUND
US.
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• WE NEED TO SEPARATE
OURSELVES FROM THAT IDOL
WORSHIP
• GOD HAS CALLED US OUT OF
THIS WORLD
• WE ARE NOT TO LET THE WORLD
THAT WORSHIPS IDOLS SHAPE US
ROMANS 12:2
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AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO
THIS WORLD, BUT BE
TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING
OF YOUR MIND, SO THAT YOU MAY
PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS,
THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND
ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.
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• THIS EXPLAINS HOW WE ARE
CALLED
• TO DEAL WITH WHERE WE HAVE
COME FROM
• WE NEED TO BE TRANSFORMED
• AND WE DO THAT BY THE
RENEWING OF THE MIND
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• WHICH REQUIRES THAT WE YIELD
TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (PAUSE)
• WE CAN SIT AROUND AND BLAME
WHERE WE COME FROM
• “THAT’S JUST HOW I WAS RAISED”
• “THAT’S HOW THEY DID THINGS IN
MY FAMILY”
• OR WE CAN UNDERSTAND WE
COME FROM
• A FALLEN WORLD, AND THAT
DOING THINGS
• THE WAY I WAS RAISED OR
HOW THEY DID THINGS
• MAY NOT BE GOD’S WAY
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• GOD LOVES US AND FORGIVES US NO
MATTER WHERE WE COME FROM
• BUT HE DOES DESIRE THAT WE
CHANGE THAT WE GROW
• AND HE HAS GIVEN US THE HOLY
SPIRIT
• SO THAT WE CAN GROW AND
CHANGE TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST
IN 1978, THOMAS HANSEN
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• SUED HIS PARENTS FOR $350,000 ON
GROUNDS OF "MALPRACTICE OF
PARENTING."
• MOM AND DAD HAD BOTCHED HIS
UPBRINGING SO BADLY,
• HE CHARGED IN HIS SUIT, THAT HE
WOULD NEED
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• YEARS OF COSTLY PSYCHIATRIC
TREATMENT.
• HE LAID ALL THE BLAME AND
RESPONSIBILITY ON HIS
UPBRINGING
• YES THOSE THINGS SHAPE US
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• BUT IN CHRIST WE ARE
REBORN
• ABLE TO OVERCOME ALL THAT
HAS COME BEFORE
• ABLE TO OVERCOME ALL THAT
WE HAVE YET TO FACE
GENESIS 11:28–30
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HARAN DIED IN THE PRESENCE
OF HIS FATHER TERAH IN THE
LAND OF HIS BIRTH, IN UR OF
THE CHALDEANS. ABRAM AND
NAHOR TOOK WIVES FOR
THEMSELVES.
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THE NAME OF ABRAM’S WIFE
WAS SARAI; AND THE NAME OF
NAHOR’S WIFE WAS MILCAH,
THE DAUGHTER OF HARAN,
THE FATHER OF MILCAH AND
ISCAH. SARAI WAS BARREN;
SHE HAD NO CHILD.
WE MAY LOSE LOVED ONES
• WHEN IT SAYS DIED IN THE
PRESENCE OF HIS FATHER
• IS A NICE WAY OF SAYING HE
DIED WHILE TERAH WAS STILL
ALIVE (PAUSE)
• I HAVE HEARD IT SAID
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• THAT ONE OF THE MOST
DIFFICULT THINGS
• ANYONE CAN FACE IN LIFE IS
LOSING A CHILD
• HERE WE READ THAT ABRAM’S
FATHER TERAH
• LOST HIS SON HARAN
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• I THINK IT IS LIKELY THAT
TERAH LOSING HIS SON
• ABRAM LOSING HIS BROTHER
• HAD AN IMPACT ON THE
FAMILY
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• THIS MAY BE PART OF WHY
LOT GOES WITH ABRAM TO
CANAAN
• THEN MOSES TELLS US
SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A
MAJOR PART OF ABRAM’S LIFE
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SOME MAY FACE BARREN LIVES
• ABRAM AND NAHOR TOOK
WIVES FOR THEMSELVES
• NAHOR TAKES MILCAH AS HIS
WIFE
• SHE IS THE DAUGHTER OF HIS
BROTHER, HIS NIECE
• THIS WAS FAIRLY COMMON FOR
THAT TIME AND PLACE
• THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF NAHOR
AND MILCAH IS REBECCA
• WHO WILL MARRY ABRAM’S SON
ISAAC
• ABRAM MARRIES SARAI, WHOSE
NAME WILL LATER BE SARAH
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• AND THEN MOSES MENTIONS
SOMETHING
• THAT WILL GREATLY AFFECT,
GREATLY SHAPE ABRAM’S LIFE
• SARAI WAS BARREN; SHE HAD NO
CHILD.
• THIS MUST HAVE BEEN
DEVASTATING
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• I HAVE TALKED WITH COUPLES
GOING THROUGH THIS
• IT IS CRUSHING
• IN ABRAM’S TIME IT WAS NOT
JUST EMOTIONALLY CRUSHING
• IT WAS A MATTER OF SURVIVAL
• FAMILIES LIVED OR DIED BASED ON
HAVING CHILDREN
• SARAI BEING BARREN WILL HAVE A
GREAT EFFECT ON ABRAM’S LIFE
• IT WILL ALSO BE A MAJOR PART OF
HOW GOD CHANGES HIS LIFE
• SOMETIMES THE HARDEST THINGS
WE FACE
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• HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON
COMING TO GOD
• THE TRIALS, CHALLENGES,
OBSTACLES WE HAVE TO
OVERCOME IN OUR WALK WITH
GOD
• PROVIDE THE GREATEST
OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH
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MALCOLM MUGGERIDGE
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• THE BRITISH JOURNALIST
ONCE WROTE:
• CONTRARY TO WHAT MIGHT
BE EXPECTED,
• I LOOK BACK ON EXPERIENCES
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• THAT AT THE TIME SEEMED
ESPECIALLY DESOLATING
• AND PAINFUL WITH PARTICULAR
SATISFACTION.
• INDEED, I CAN SAY WITH COMPLETE
TRUTHFULNESS
• THAT EVERYTHING I HAVE LEARNED
IN MY 75 YEARS IN THIS WORLD,
• EVERYTHING THAT HAS TRULY
ENHANCED
• AND ENLIGHTENED MY
EXPERIENCE,
• HAS BEEN THROUGH
AFFLICTION AND NOT
THROUGH HAPPINESS.
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• KNOWING THAT WE GROW IN
TRIALS MAY NOT MAKE THEM
ANY EASIER
• BUT IT CAN HELP OUR
ATTITUDE IN THE TRIALS
JAMES 1:2–4
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CONSIDER IT ALL JOY, MY BRETHREN,
WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER VARIOUS
TRIALS, KNOWING THAT THE TESTING OF
YOUR FAITH PRODUCES ENDURANCE.
AND LET ENDURANCE HAVE ITS PERFECT
RESULT, SO THAT YOU MAY BE PERFECT
AND COMPLETE, LACKING IN NOTHING.
• AND SOMETIMES WE NEED
THAT ENDURANCE
• THAT PERSEVERANCE
• JUST TO MAKE IT DOWN THE
PATH GOD HAS US WALKING
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GENESIS 11:31–32
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TERAH TOOK ABRAM HIS SON, AND LOT
THE SON OF HARAN, HIS GRANDSON,
AND SARAI HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, HIS
SON ABRAM’S WIFE; AND THEY WENT
OUT TOGETHER FROM UR OF THE
CHALDEANS IN ORDER TO ENTER THE
LAND OF CANAAN;
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AND THEY WENT AS FAR AS
HARAN, AND SETTLED THERE.
THE DAYS OF TERAH WERE
TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE
YEARS; AND TERAH DIED IN
HARAN.
WE MAY NEED TO GO
• AFTER ONE SON HAD DIED
AND THE OTHERS HAD
MARRIED
• TERAH LEAVES UR OF THE
CHALDEANS
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• AND HE TOOK;
• ABRAM HIS SON, AND LOT THE
SON OF HARAN, HIS
GRANDSON, AND SARAI HIS
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, HIS SON
ABRAM’S WIFE;
• THERE IS AN INTERESTING
QUESTION HERE
• DID TERAH GET A CALLING
FROM GOD TO LEAVE UR
• WE KNOW ABRAM WAS
INSTRUCTED BY GOD TO GO
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GENESIS 12:1
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NOW THE LORD SAID TO ABRAM,
“GO FORTH FROM YOUR
COUNTRY, AND FROM YOUR
RELATIVES AND FROM YOUR
FATHER’S HOUSE, TO THE LAND
WHICH I WILL SHOW YOU;
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• MANY SCHOLARS THINK THAT
TERAH MAY HAVE RECEIVED A
CALLING AS WELL
• THE BIBLE DOES NOT MENTION IT
IF HE DID
• SO POSSIBLY TERAH’S DECISION TO
LEAVE UR WAS BASED ON ABRAM’S
CALLING
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• OR PERHAPS IT WAS GOD PROVIDING
A MEANS FOR ABRAM TO LEAVE UR
• IT CAN BE HARD TO LEAVE THE PLACE
YOU GREW UP
• ABRAM WAS LEAVING HIS EXTENDED
FAMILY
• WHICH IN THAT WORLD WAS VERY
IMPORTANT
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• HE WAS LEAVING A COMFORTABLE
LIFE
• IN A DEVELOPED SOCIETY
• FOR AN UNKNOWN LAND THAT WAS
FAR LESS SECURE
• GOD FREQUENTLY CALLS PEOPLE TO
LEAVE ONE SITUATION FOR
ANOTHER
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• SOMETIMES WHEN HE CALLS PEOPLE
THEY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING
• SOMETIMES LIKE ABRAM GOD SAYS
GO
• AND DOES NOT MAKE IT CLEAR
WHERE WE ARE TO GO
• WE SHOULD GO WHEN HE SAYS GO
• BUT WE SHOULD
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GO WITH A PURPOSE
• MOSES STATES THE PURPOSE OF
TERAH LEAVING UR
• HE SAYS IT WAS;
• IN ORDER TO ENTER THE LAND
OF CANAAN;
• THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD PURPOSE
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• GOD MAY BE USING TERAH’S
PURPOSE
• AS A WAY TO GET ABRAM WHERE HE
NEEDS TO BE
• THE BEST PURPOSES WE CAN HAVE
ARE THOSE THAT SERVE GOD
• AND WHEN WE ARE SERVING GOD
• WE NEED TO BE SURE
WE NEVER STOP MOVING
TOWARDS WHERE GOD HAS
CALLED US TO GO
• THE TEXT SAYS;
• AND THEY WENT AS FAR AS
HARAN, AND SETTLED THERE.
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• THIS IS NOT WHERE THEY WERE
HEADED WHEN THEY LEFT UR
• BUT THEY GET HERE AND THEY STOP
• THE RABI’S TEACH THAT TERAH
NAMED THIS PLACE AFTER HIS SON
HARAN WHO HAD DIED
• WE ARE NOT TOLD WHY THEY
SETTLED THERE
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• MAYBE IT WAS A NICE PLACE AND
THEY JUST LIKED IT THERE
• SOME PEOPLE THINK TERAH
BECAME ILL AND COULD NOT GO
FARTHER
• EITHER WAY THEY STOPPED SHORT
OF WHERE GOD HAD CALLED THEM
TO GO (PAUSE)
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GOD CALLED ERIN AND I OUT
OF OUR OLD LIFE
• WE WERE LIVING VERY FAR
FROM GOD
• WE WERE LITERALLY IDOLATERS
• WORSHIPING OTHER GODS
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• I HAD BEEN RAISED IN A FAMILY
THAT KNEW GOD
• BUT DID NOT KNOW CHRIST
• WHEN WE STARTED DOWN
THAT PATH
• WE DID NOT KNOW IT LEAD TO
MULLIN
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• WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT GOD
KNEW WHERE THE PATH WENT
• WE ARE GRATEFUL HE PROVIDED
PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY TO
• ENCOURAGE AND TRAIN US, TO
HELP WITH PAYING FOR SEMINARY
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• WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT
GOD GAVE US THE STRENGTH
TO MAKE IT HERE
• WE ARE ALSO GRATEFUL FOR
THOSE WHO HELPED US ONCE
WE GOT HERE
• AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR
THOSE WHO WILL HELP US IN
THE FUTURE
• AS WE CONTINUE DOWN THE
PATH GOD AS SET BEFORE US
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WE NEED TO REMEMBER
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• THAT WHERE WE COME FROM HAS
SHAPED WHO WE ARE
• OUR FAMILIES WERE PART OF THAT
PAST
• BUT FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE
TRUSTED IN JESUS CHRIST AS OUR
SAVOIR
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• WE HAVE BEEN BORN ANEW, WE
ARE NOW CHILDREN OF GOD
• WE SHOULD NEVER LET WHERE
WE COME FROM
• OR WHAT WE HAVE BEEN
THROUGH IN LIFE
• LIMIT HOW WE SERVE GOD
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• WE MAY HAVE FACED TRAGIC
THINGS
• LOSS, DEATH, BARRENNESS
• THIS DOES NOT MAKE US LESS
SUITED TO SERVE GOD
• IN FACT IN MANY CASES IT IS
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH
• THAT MAKES US BEST SUITED
TO SERVE HIM
• THESE THINGS WE FACED
• HELP US HAVE COMPASSION
AND MERCY
• FOR THOSE WHO WE SERVE
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• IT HELPS US COMMUNICATE
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
• THAT THERE IS A GOD WHO
LOVES US AND WANTS
• AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH US…
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