A single step of Faith - Abraham

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This morning, we’re going to continue in our study, which is largely based on Hebrews 11. As we study Abraham.

But As we start this morning… I thought I would share the story with you, the condensed version on how Kim and I ended up in Kenton Ohio. Some of you may know the story, but I think for many of us, it will be new. I remember driving initially to Conway, New Hampshire to Journey Church which is part of the Christian and Missionary alliance… and while on the way there, God had placed it on my heart that we wouldn’t necessarily be there a long time. I knew God was calling us at some point to step into a role as a senior pastor. And that was just under 3 years ago.

And in the moments, between that calling and coming to Kenton… there were a lot of twists and turns. You see, just about a year Ago… God placed it on my heart that we would be leaving New Hampshire soon. And at one point, I actually thought Kim and I may be moving to California, or to South Carolina, or perhaps to Florida. You see the calling was right, but the destination was wrong.

And so, after applying to a handful of job applications, and the lord shutting the door. Kim and I got to a point back in the springtime where we were just frustrated. I mean, we knew God was moving us… He had put a burden on us, but we took it upon ourselves to figure out the destination, instead of just trusting God for his will.

I remember telling Kim at point: “I know God is getting ready to move us, but the same old approach isn’t working…” “I’m going to switch approaches and not apply to anything and let the Lord open the door.”

Several months went by, moments of continued frustration and uncertainty… And then, one Thursday morning at the beginning of July, I got an email from Jeff Miller the Ohio Valley District Superintendent. who informed me that he found my resume on the Alliance website. Which by the way, I still have no idea how it got there…?

But he told me about a church hiring in Ohio and asked if I was looking to move here. I told him Ohio wasn’t necessarily on my radar, but that I was open to whatever God would have…. As you guys know, Kim and I ended up flying out to Kenton the weekend of Sunday the 15th. And by the way We already under contract to sell our home in New Hampshire, and so on Monday the 16th… when we flew back home, we loaded the back of our U-Haul with all of our items, and we waited to see if that U-Haul would be getting unloaded in Ohio or somewhere else…

And while You guys know how the story went from there, the point is that I had to come to a point where I stopped trying to do things in a way that made sense to me and shift to a point where I was completely relying on the Lords lead and not my own.

Some of us this morning can perhaps relate with me. Maybe you find yourself in seasons of life where things don’t make sense. Others of us this morning have been trying to do things are way, and things aren’t working out the way we thought. And maybe some of us this morning are going through life, and things are difficult… and we feel like we’re going through life along. And all the while God is pouring out his love and letting you know that he’s walking beside you.

This morning, God is calling us to live a life of unwavering faith. And if you do so, it will change the outcome of not only this life.

That takes us to this morning’s sermon points as we study the Story of Abrham 1) Unwavering faith provides a firm foundation. 2) Unwavering faith leads to fellowship and 3) Unwavering faith leads to forgiveness.

Unwavering leads to a firm foundation.

If you have your bibles with you this morning, turn with me first to Hebrews 11 and then we’ll come back to our primary text which is Genesis 12 here in just a few minutes.

But turn with me to Hebrews 11:1 as we look at the definition of faith which reads: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.“

By the way, the word assurancethat we see here in the Greek is the word hypostasis, which is uses building terminology in its definition, is defined as a substructure, a foundation or a thing put under foot… So, assurance is not only the foundation in which you build your home, but also your life.

It goes on to say in verse 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.

You see, what’s interesting is on this side of heaven Abraham wasn’t about building a large home or great wealth on earth. Now the Lord did bless him with many life stock and possession, but when God called him to Go, he actually lived in tents and made his home and traveled wherever God would lead him… You see, he had a willingness to trade in the foundation on earth for a real foundation to come. One that wouldn’t burn or be destroyed, but one that would endure forever.

You see in studying this week on the idea of a firm foundation.

I came across a website for a construction company website. And this company specializes in the foundation and building of homes. but the website states this about building a house without a foundation… it says: “so, can you build a house without a foundation? The simple answer is that of course, you can- as long as you don’t need it to stand for long. Historically, houses without foundations have tended to be simple affairs, built around an earth floor, which weren’t designed to last.

Although a building may be able to support the downward thrust of its load without a foundation, it’s the sideways motion that creates the problem. As the ground changes temperature with the seasons, it expands and contracts, causing instabilities that make the building lurch.”

You see friends, we can build our lives without a foundation, but it won’t last long…

The question becomes: when the storms in life hit? How well does a building without a foundation stand up? And when life goes sideways, the building is someday destroyed… if there wasn’t a foundation in place… what remains?

For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 explains: “10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”

I can’t help but think of the 3 Little Pigs, where one little pig built his house out of straw and one little pig built his house out of something else, but it was only the 3rdlittle pig did just what he was told to do a who built his house out of stone, who had a firm structure that wasn’t eaten. You see friends, there is no other foundation except for Jesus Christ. Any foundation in life that is not Jesus Christ is no foundation at all.

And yet some people will be quick to run to different things in life. Perhaps drugs or alcohol, or relationships, maybe even a job or a social status… and yet the only foundation is Christ.

You see, once a foundation is laid in place… God can then begin to lay out the blueprints for our lives, and he can build a masterpiece. I know firsthand, that when you fully submit to the Lords will in your life, you end up in places that you never thought you would live… You go places that you never thought you would Go, and you live a life truly worth living…

But building a foundation may cost us something.

Genesis 12:1-3 12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth, will be blessed through you.”

And so, God wanted to do amazing things through this man, here in these few verses he extend a covenant to Abraham, and later scripture, he also promises to give him children as numerous as the stars…. But Abraham had to give up the old way of life for the new. There was a cost.

You see, there was this moment of trust. This moment of saying yes to God and answering the call or not. Which we don’t see it here in genesis, but in Joshua 24:2 we see a glimpse of what Abraham was giving up.

2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other god.

This is a small detail, but Abraham was called to leave this culture of idol worship and the comforts of home. And go to a new place that he knew nothing about.

And don’t think this call didn’t come without persecution. You can imagine as he was making preparation to travel on from there onto where God would lead him, that there was adversity… and ridicule. I mean just imagine the type of puzzled faces he would have gotten from his family and from Sarah’s family? “You’re doing what with my daughter?” You’re moving her where? What do you mean you don’t know where you’re going? Your gonna put her up in tents and live like a boy out camping in the woods?

You see, we don’t see the conversations that take place between Abraham and his family or Sarah’s family, but I promise they weren’t easy…You see, when God prepares to move you, and there is a God-sized mission in front of you… There are those, who question what in the world you are doing. And yet Abraham was faithful because he followed God’s lead.

Matthew 16:24-26 explains: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

You see friends, Abraham answered the call… He was willing to Go, wherever God would lead… even when he didn’t know the details… He put his complete faith in God. I wonder for us this morning; would we be as daring as to follow God’s lead even if we didn’t know the details. Even when things didn’t make sense? Even when others laughed at the idea of us simply follow the call of God on our lives…. You see, the call to be a Christian is a life of glitz and glamour, the call to follow Christ… is ultimately a call to die to ourselves, and live for him…. And yet… He calls us to follow him, wherever he would lead. He calls us to put our trust and our faith in him and let him go before us.

But as we let him lead the way, he takes us on a journey that we never could have imagined. That takes to point 2.

Unwavering Faith leads to fellowship

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.6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time, the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[c] I will give this land.” So, he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. 9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

So as God called Abraham to Go, he went from Harran to Canaan, which is modern day Israel… And Abraham takes his wife Sarah, and his nephew lot and their possessions and they travel for about 400 miles until they arrive at the land God led them to.

Now what’s interesting is this, God is reaffirming his promises to Abraham promises to give him this land many children through him and yet there are 2 major problems with what God is promising for one… this land new land already has people lived there. People known as the Canaanites…. and also there at this time… Abraham doesn’t have any children… But despite these 2 obstacles, Abrahams still continues to trust God. He doesn’t complain, he doesn’t doubt, in fact the bible says that he “built an alter there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

I think there’s an underlying truth that is easy to overlook… but it was so key to Abraham’s pilgrimage… and that concept is that the Lord walked and spent time with Abraham.

You see here’s the point… Abraham would be lead even beyond the land of Canaan… and in the course of his lifetime, Abraham would walk thousands (details) of miles… yet the key is, as Abraham walked, the Lord walked with him. As Abraham Journeyed, the Lord journeyed with him.

You see, God didn’t change the mission… God needed Abraham out of his old surroundings… so that God, he could give him a new future… But… When Abraham went, he wasn’t alone.

You see, I remember being 20 years old when I was still serving in the navy. And ill never forget walking down the pier in Norfolk, Virginia after being home for the Christmas holiday… and on return back to the USS Cole, I knew that we would soon be setting sail and going out to see. And so that night, after returning back to Norfolk Virginia, I remember walking down the pier and heading back to the ship where I slept at that time… and the lyrics from a popular band by the name of green day came into my mind. The song was entitle, I walk alone, and thinking about it now… it’s really a very sad and depressing song, but part of the lyrics to the song are my shadows the only thing that walks beside me… and In those moments as I walked back to the ship, in the cold sea breezed air, the lights above brough a shadow of myself… as I walked back to the ship by myself. And in those moments, I felt like I was living out the lyrics to that song… it was only me and I walked alone.

You see, friends, you may or may not be familiar with that song… but you can all relate with the idea of going through life alone. The sadness in feeling like it’s just you, or like there’s no one there to pick you up… and yet friends… Unlike the tragic song in which the shadow is the only thing that walks beside us… we know as Christians that the Lord walks with us each and every day.

You see, I’m reminded of the words of Moses to Joshua before Joshua would conquer the land of Canaan.

In Joshua 31:7-8 we’re told: 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Friends, this morning… you don’t have to walk life alone. Your faith ushers in a relationship with almighty God... that no matter where you are this morning… he walks with you… Your pain that you’re facing this morning… he loves you and wants to comfort you where you are… Your hurt that you feel, where you feel like you’re the only one that’s ever felt that way… God says… I’m here, and I died so that you can live. God came down and took on the form of a human, he felt ever pain that we felt, he empathizes with us in our struggle and like any good father, he loves us this morning… That takes us to our final point this morning.

Unwavering Faith Leads to forgiveness

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

You see friends, Abraham wasn’t perfect. The man that we read about this morning in just a matter of a few verses, goes from spending time with the Lord to ultimately trusting his own cleverness… You see, in my studies this week It was brought to my attention that Abraham was never told specifically to go to Egypt. Instead, He trusted his own cleverness and his own ideas as though he had to aid the Lord… and then when he got to Egypt, he then had his wife cover up her identity so that the Pharaoh would treat him well for his sake… and not call him…

Afterall, if Abraham didn’t have a child at this age, and so if he were to die… well how could God’s plan be carried out? You see, Abraham was trying to be faithful… but he was really also trying to aid the Lord in the process… And yet despite his efforts God came to the rescue.

We’re told: Genesis 12:17-20

17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

You see Friends, in a moment of weakness, Abraham didn’t act out of faith but rather out of fear…. But catch this, even in the moments where Abraham wasn’t faithful to God… God was still faith to Abraham. Even when Abraham said, I’m going to do it my way… God stepped in and let me fix what you messed up.

You see Pharaoh could have easily had Abraham Killed or at least beaten. I mean, Abraham had acted foolishly in these moments and brought upon humiliation and disease upon the pharaoh and his household… and yet, God didn’t turn his back on Abraham.

And we won’t discuss this today, even when in Genesis chapter 20 where Abraham repeats this sin, and this time Sarah lies to King Abimelech about her identity… In both instances, Abraham hasn’t exactly acted through faith… and yet in both cases God comes to the rescue.

I’m going to call Lisa back up at this time as we prepare to close

2 timothy 2:11-13 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

Guys if we can be honest with ourselves just for a few moments… There are times in our lives where we struggle… Times in our lives where we get things wrong, times where just like Abraham we act out of fear… instead of Faith. There are times in our lives where we get it wrong… and yet, when we are faithless, he remains faithful to us this morning.

You see the bible reminds us 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

And so, as we prepare to close, there are 3 groups that I would like to speak to just for the next few moments. 1st There are those this morning who need forgiveness. Just like our friend Abraham we realize this morning that we’ve sinned. We messed up, and this morning… God wants you to confess your sin and turn to Him. To realize you’re not perfect, and yet it’s simply by his amazing grace that you have been saved.

There are others this morning who are facing a situation which requires faith, and yet fear seems to creep in, and this morning, God is simply asking that you caste your cares upon him for he cares for you.

And finally, there may be here this morning, and you’ve never put your faith in Christ. This foundation which we speak of, you’ve You’ve never made The Lord your savior of your life. And in a minute, I’m going to pray, and I would simply just ask that if that’s you that you raise your hand this morning. You see the 1 John 1:9 tells us that: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

And so, this morning, I would love to pray with you and talk with you more… but listen, just like Abraham who took the first step of faith… God calls out to each and everyone of us this morning and he wants all to come to repentance to trust in him for the forgiveness of their sins. Pray