Moments Along the Journey of Faith

Introduction

Good morning! As we continue our series looking at the Pillars of Our Faith we will take a brief look at the life of Abraham and Moments Along the Journey of Faith we can relate to.

Define “Faith” and the attitude/worldview necessary for faith to have it’s rightful place in our life.

Moments of Faith we will discuss: Ur moment, Haran moment, Altar moment, Egypt moment, Isaac moment

Key Passage is

Supporting passages are which encompass more details of Abraham’s life.

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Context

This slide is the basic map of ancient Bible times with current country boundaries overlaid so we can relate to the physical location. Near UR and further South is where the Garden of Eden is believed to have been since that is where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers join. Scripture identifies these two rivers and two other rivers that no longer exist as being the location of the Garden of Eden.

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Discuss definition of “Faith” after vs. 1

Discuss Attitude of Faith (“passing through attitude”) after vs. 13

Hebrews 11:1–16 NIV

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Ur Moment

Abraham is practicing his faith in daily life; growing in his faith as he practices it with his wife Sarai and Father Terah. His brother Haran dies; He goes with his father Terah, wife Sarai and Nephew Lot to Haran.

This is the moment that much of our life can be categorized in. We live our life daily walking with God as best we can growing in our faith as we experience life and death with friends and family.

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Haran Moment

Call to do something only God can do. God calls Abram to leave his home and go to a land that God will show him later, a foreign land, in another country, a different culture.

God’s Promise: I will make you into a great nation; all people will be blessed through you (Jesus Christ)

Genesis 12:4–5 NIV

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Gen 12:4

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Altar Moment

a. Arrive at Shechem: Canaanites were in the land.

Genesis 12:6–9 ESV

6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 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. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

Genesis 12:7 ESV

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.

God reaffirms his call and promise to Abram. Abram encounters God in a personal manner, builds an altar and worships God there.

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b. He moves on from there to a place between Bethel and Ai. there again, he personally encounters God, builds an Altar and worships the Lord.

c. My “Altar moments”

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Wedding ring

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Burial marker: Nathaniel (gift of God)

d. Altars: Testimonies of good times and bad times when God walked with us: “passing through attitude”

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Egypt Moment

There is famine in the land. Not sure if God sends Abram and his family to Egypt or if Abram decides to help God by reasoning that a nation cannot come from his line if he is dead.

What we do know is that he fears for his life when he gets to Egypt. He is concerned that because Sarai, his wife is beautiful that Pharoah will have Abram killed so that he can take Sarai into his harem. Instead, Abram tells Sarai to say that she is Abram’s sister. In that case, Pharoah will take Sarai into his harem and leave Abram alive. Note, this decision had no positive impact on Sarai because regardless she was going to be taken into Pharoah’s harem. But it benefited Abram and therefore “fit into God’s plan” since Abram had to remain alive.

This was a lack of faith on Abram’s part and his lack of faith put Sarai in a precarious situation.

Ultimately God delivered them out of Egypt through Pharoah.

Coming out of the Egypt moment Abram goes back to where he last encountered God. He revisits his Altar Moments.

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Isaac Moment

That leads us to the Isaac Moment. These are times when we do not understand what God is doing or why - all we can do is trust Him.

Hebrews 11:17–19 NIV

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

It had been 25 years but then finally, a son, Isaac was born.

Now, Abraham is told to sacrifice Isaac, his one and only son, the one through whom God’s promise would come.

Genesis 22:13–14 ESV

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Gen 22:13-14

Abraham called that place, “God will provide.” He provides for us today through his one and only begotten Son.

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Conclusion

Where are you in your Journey of Faith?