Sermon Tone Analysis

An Heir

God’s Covenant with Abram brought forth a question from Abram.

O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 15:2.

The first verse of Chapter 15 brings about this question.

In the days of Abram the blessings were found in offspring especially males offspring because you wanted to have someone to give your possessions to; a blessing.

One thing I feel we all deal with in life is figuring out which road to take, and it will always involve making decisions that will impact yourself and family.

Abram has made a decision at the beginning of this chapter.

Abram has decided that alliances with kings of Sodom were not in his best interest.

At some point in our lives we are pressed to make a decision either we follow man of we follow God.

Previous actions had separated Abram from the land of Sodom and his nephew had been spared.

Do you think that God was speaking to Abram?

God speaks to all of us, all the time, but are we listening?

The first verse tells Abram to fear not.

The Lord says to Abram that He is his shield.

Then he says your reward will be great.

For Abram if there is to be a great blessing it is confusing because he has not heir to give a great blessing to. 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 15:3.

The conversation between God and Abram is levied on the premise that in order to be blessed you must have a son to give those blessing to.

Abram is disturbed that his blessings will not be shared in his name.

Now if you have been waiting to hear from God pay attention to this word, 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.”

Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 15:4–5.

When we see the hand of god at work in our lives some of us are very excepting of this hand of god as truth, but others will find ways to dismiss it for what ever reason.

Even though Abram had not seen the word of God come to pass yet he believed and it was counted as righteousness.

6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 15:6.

The Covenant between God and Abram is difficult at best to understand.

O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”

9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other.

But he did not cut the birds in half.

11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 15:8–11.

Abram then falls into a deep sleep and has a vision.

In this vision God reveals things to Abram that he could never understand, but what is important is that Abram believed that it was God who gave him the vision.

What should we take from the message given to Abram?

This message is for us as well.

God has a plan for us.

I encourage you all to take the Spiritual Gifts inventory.

As I have had discussions with some of you about your test results we need to understand that God has gifted us with these Spiritual things to edify Him.

In return we (the church) is edified as we work together to help each other hear from God.