Abraham: Father of the Faithful

I wanted to start this mornings message by sharing the video from the church and pastor we as a church family are working together with to plant a church. I remember the first time I was introduced to church planting...

I was about 12 years old… about 1990 and my mentor challenged me to pray for a church plant. I remember because I made some joke that a middle school boy would find funny about planting churches and also because of the name of the town the church would be planted in.

I would be asked to pray again at age 22 in the year 2000 as that church built their first building.

And it would be at age 32 I found myself on my knees before the Lord in 2011 as He was asking me to leave where I was “comfortable” enjoying ministry and life and step into an associate pastor position at this church planted in a town with a crazy name of Parachute.

God does amazing work through His Church and He has a heart and passion to see churches planted. Here is the really cool thing… Jesus said He would build His church and the gates of hell would NOT prevail!!! God does some pretty cool stuff when we obey His voice…

In Hebrews 11:8-12 we read:

Hebrews 11:8–12 NASB95

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

We jump back to Genesis 11:10; 11:27-12:5 and we read:

Genesis 11:10 NASB95

These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood;

Genesis 11:27–12:5 NASB95

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. Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. 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. 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; 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. 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; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.

What We Have Learned

God is creator (Only One God)

God Loves People

God Judges Sin

God is Sovereign

God Offers Grace & Mercy

In the first 11 chapters of Genesis we have covered almost 2000 years...

We have spent a great deal looking at God and His interactions with mankind as a whole in the first 1/4th of this book

We will look now at Abraham and a few of his descendants spanning less than 200 years in the other 3/4th of this book!

To say that God is focusing His attention now on Abraham rather than all mankind is to LIMIT GOD… God never ceases to have His attention on ALL!!! He is God. RATHER… He focuses the reader’s attention, (you & me, the Nation of Israel, all how have read it in-between) on Abraham and his descendants. God desires to work through this man and his seed to bless all mankind.

Abraham

Literal Father of multiple nations

Spiritual father of Muslims, Jews, and Christians

Possibly better known in this world than even Jesus Christ!

AND… God chose Abraham… scripture is very clear on this. Genesis 12:1 states that it was God who came to Abram not Abram to God.

He was from UR of Chaldeans (Babylon) seat of civilization

He was a polytheist (Joshua)

Sacrificing of children, tribal wars, and deceit were ways of life

Travel and spreading out were not desirous

Comfort, ease, and self-fulfillment were common

Abram was 75 & Sarai was not far behind, barren, and beyond the age of child bearing 11:30… this is not the stage of life to “BEGIN”!!!

We come to the scriptures and we find a man… not a saint, or a perfect man, but one with a past, one with baggage, one who has some real good excuses humanly speaking… BUT GOD!

God’s Call

God called Abram out of the world to Himself! (12:1)

God is still calling people to Himself!

When God calls… He calls us FROM something TO something

For Abram it was FROM:

Country

Family

Home

TO… the unknown!!!

How is God directing YOU?

DO YOU TRUST GOD?

When you consider the obedience of God consider His promises

Consider what God UNCONDITIONALLY promises Abram if he goes...

GREAT NATION (C.R. 11:30)

BLESSINGS

FAME

YOU WILL BE A BLESSING… to all the world!

This last promise is both practically speaking and divinely speaking

Verse 3 speaks of blessing through the “SEED” of Abraham… (Genesis 3)

The book of James states that Abraham believed God… he placed his faith in Him! and that Abraham was called a friend of God!

When we trust God, have faith in Him...

We enter into relationship!

So Abram went...

Abraham demonstrated His FAITH!

At 75 Abram demonstrated his faith!

Well… that was easy for him right? Wrong…

It would be another 25 years before Issac is born

The only land he would see as his was the plot he purchased to be buried on

Abraham would not see a nation this side of Heaven

But Abraham decided to put his FAITH in ONE GOD… and follow Him wholly and completely!

How about you?

What amazing thing is God calling YOU TO???

In October of 2011 I came to a church God planted to be their associate pastor. At age 42 I stand before you today as your pastor absolutely amazed at God’s hand and working! God has a plan and what an amazing thing to follow Him! Had I known at age 12 and 22 where I would be today I would have prayed harder and more intentionally.

Church I want you to be praying for this church plant we are a part of! Let me encourage you… pray with open hands and hearts. WHERE… WHAT… WHEN… is God calling YOU? He may be calling you regardless of age or past!

Is He calling you to Himself? Is He seeking a relationship with you? Is He calling you FROM a life filled with sin TO a relationship with Him? Hang on, it is the most powerful, exciting relationship you will enter into and He extends it to you and I through His grace and mercy!