Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Everything and everyone in this world has an origin.

Holidays were established at some point.

Nations/cities have an origin.

World religions also have an origin.

Buddhism finds its origin in Gautama Buda.

Mormonism finds its origin in Joseph Smith.

There are three world religions that claim its origin in the person of the Old Testament patriarch - Abraham.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Each of these three world religions say they owe their existence to the father of the faith - Abraham.

In our journey through the Bible in 2019 we have been introduced to Abram who would later be called Abraham.

The writer to the Hebrews focuses on the story of Abraham to teach us X important lessons.

Faith requires trusting God’s promises.

Faith requires trusting Gods provision.

Faith may require personal sacrifice but it leads to an eternal reward.

Faith has eternal reward.

I. Faith requires trusting God’s promises.

I. La fe requiere confiar en las promesas de Dios.

I. La fe requiere confiar en las promesas de Dios.

When we first encounter Abram in the book of Genesis we are told:

We are not told that he was a Hebrew or a Jew.

After all, these concepts were unknown to these ancients peoples.

If Abraham is the father if the faith, the father of the people of Israel; this means there were no Israelites during the time of Abraham.

God had started to establish his people with the calling of Abraham.

What we do know is that Abram had settled in the land off Ur of the Chaldeans.

Ur of the Chaldeans would later be called Babylon.

This city had much commerce, much wealth, and many of the social evils that one can find in a large city.

This city was known for its religious idolatry and immorality.

It is in this context of social and financial comfort that God calls Abraham.

God calls Abraham as he is living comfortably in Ur - once God calls him he obeys.

Notice how the Bible is very explicit in telling us that he went out “not knowing where he was going.”

This is remarkable because there is no indication in the Bible that Abraham would have been associated with the Lord; it is very likely that Abraham was raised worshipping many of the different gods of Ur of the Chaldeans.

…and out of no where he receives an audible from the Lord calling him to leave everything he knows - to trust him, to believe him at his word.

Gn 1.

Abraham is called by a God previously unknown to him, to a country that he does not know about, to a place that will be completely unfamiliar to him.

God promises Abraham an inheritance.

Although that may sound very tempting/attractive; let us not forget that it is very likely that Abraham already had an inheritance in Ur.

After all, his father had died and he would now be an heir of his father’s wealth.

What was really going on, is that Abraham was leaving that which was sure, 100% guaranteed, that which he could see, to something that humanly speaking was an absolute risk, he had no guarantees, and certainly he could not see it; for he didn’t even know where he was going.

This is a characteristic of faith.

Faith does not mean trusting in something blindly - but rather it means trusting God based on his written word.

Abraham had heard God audibly.

We have no need of hearing God’s spoken voice for he has now spoken to us through his word.

Faith requires that we look at God’s word and believe that whatever he has promised we will believe because it is established in his word.

Abraham leap of faith was entirely dependent on the word that he had recieved from God.

How can we trust in God’s word?

How can we know that God’s promises are true?

We know God’s word is true because it contains prophecy that has been fulfilled according to what was declared.

We know God’s word is true because God does not lie.

We know God’s word is true because Jesus promised he would rise from the dead.

Surely, if he can rise from the dead, he can fulfill all his written promises.

II.

Faith requires trusting Gods provision.

II.

La fe requiere creer que Dios proveerá.

Abraham leaves the comfort of home and trusts entirely on God.

Notice that the Bible does not say that Abraham recieved the land as an inheritance immediately upon arrival.

The Bible tells us that even though he was in the land of promise it would continue to be:

A land of promise.

A foreign land to him.

He and his son, and his grandson, would continue to dwell in tents.

They would all continue to be heirs of the same promise.

The promise had not yet been fulfilled.

Abraham had to trust that God would be with him through:

The treacherous journey.

The uncertainty of food and safety.

The uncertainty of old age.

God would sustain Abraham’s health, his body, and his entire family.

God was providing for Abraham at every step of the way.

In the same way God will be the provider of his people.

Faith requires that we trust that God will provide throughout our earthly journey.

This does not mean we will have absolute health and wealth - what it does mean is that God will sustain us even in the midst of trials.

If we are sick and on our deathbed; God’s power will sustain us.

This promise is even more precious to our brothers and sisters who loose their jobs because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

They can put their trust in the Lord and know that God will provide - we do not know how or when; but we can trust in God’s provision.

Has he ever failed to provide in your time of need?

Surely, you have seen the Lord’s provision in your life.

He has not left you nor has he forsaken you.

III.

Faith may require personal sacrifice but it leads to an eternal reward.

III.

La fe puede requerir sacrificio personal pero nos lleva a una recompensa eterna.

IV.

Faith has eternal reward.

Abraham’s act of faith necessarily required personal sacrifice.

IV.

La fe nos lleva a una recompensa eterno.

He left the comfort of his home.

He left the security of his wordly inheritance.

He started a difficult journey although was already in his mid-seventies.

However, his eyes were firmly planted on the promise that God had given him.

In the end he knew that promise was not limited to an earthly piece of land - but an eternal reward.

Heb 11.

Abraham was looking towards that great and marvelous city; not designed by human minds or built by human hands but whose architect and builder is God himself.

If humans have the ability to design and build marvelous structures how much more beautiful, grand, and majestic are the structures that God himself can build?

In the same way, all of us who call upon the name of the Lord; and have believed in him by faith; have this hope.

We do not follow the Lord solely because our lives upon this earth can improve.

We do not follow the Lord because we know he is our physician in our time of illness.

We do not follow the Lord because we know he is our provider in times of need.

We follow the Lord because we know he has promised an eternal reward; he has promised us a heavenly dwelling wherein we will be in his presence forever and ever.