The Call of Abraham
Is Abraham and the call of Abraham found in Genesis chapter. Number 12 in verse one. But before we do that by way of introduction, someone I said that's life. Life is the classroom in the school effect. The Bible is the textbook in the school of faith. The apostles and the prophets are the teachers in the school of faith and that. And if that be true, then Abraham is the dean of that school. And I love that, the Bible calls him and Romans chapter 4, the father of all, who believe and obviously what you think about Abraham you think about faith, he is the father of the faithful. So we will be studying him for just a moment this morning. Listen to some of you right now are having a hard time. Believing God, you're having a difficult time trusting God. And so I pray that this message is used to as a help to you this morning. Let's pray together. As we meet together in this place. Our father, we are grateful or for your word for grateful, Lord, for the examples that you have laid before us. Of men and women of faith and father, I pray that we would would exemplify that even more than maybe maybe we have done in the past that we would be men and women of Faith. Trusting you believing you even in times where there is much uncertainty. May we be found, faithful? May we be found? Faithful Christians. Father, we ask you to bless this time of preaching. Father, I pray for those who are here. You're lost. God, I pray that through. The working of your Holy Spirit. How you would? Quicken their spirit. Make their Spirit Alive.
And Lord that day would repent and believe the gospel of Christ and be saved. grant them, Faith Ford We ask all these things in Christ, name, amen. Genesis 12 in verse 1 says now the Lord had said to Abram Get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you and in you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed. So, Abraham departed, as a lord had spoken to him. And lot went with him and Abram was 75 years old when he departed from her on. Now listen, I cannot say enough of the importance of faith. Faith is absolutely important in the reason faith is so important is because faith is the identifying Mark of a. Christian faith is the identifying characteristic of the believer, listen, brother, Christian recalled, Believers before they were ever called Christians. Jesus said in John 6, and Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent. And so we are called to believe. We are called to believe. And therefore unbelief unbelief is the greatest sin. Friendless and there is no greater sin than not to believe. God. The Bible says in John 3, Jesus said this, he that believes on him is knocking them, but he, that believes not is condemned already. Because he has not believed in the name of the only forgotten only-begotten rather, Son of God. Now, you can say nice things about God. You can think nice things about God. Befriend, if you don't believe God, that's the biggest insult. You can give to a holy almighty God. And so I'm believe is the mother seeing it is. The father sent unbelief is the parents in. the scent out of which all other sins grow, This is why faith is so important because again the this is the identifying marks of a believer. And so, therefore your Christian life is to be a life lived by faith.
Do you know what habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4? Romans 1:17 Galatians, 3 and verse 11 and Hebrews, 10:38 have in common They all say the same thing. You know what? It says the just shall live by faith. I think the Lord is trying to tell us something right? Four times, God uses that exact statement. The just those who are saved live by faith,
Until the way you lived your Christian Life, it is not by trying. The way you live, the Christian Life Is by trusting. The just shall live by faith. So I want us to examine some of the aspects of Abraham's faith and as we consider the call of Abraham and noticed, the first thing There is a reception of the call, the reception of Abraham's call first one again, says now the Lord said unto Abram, get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I let me very quickly give you the context, we know the story of Abraham actually begins after a brief biography of his father to Rob at the end of Genesis chapter 11, Tariff was and his family were pagans. They lived in a pagan land. Abraham's father was a maker of idols. He was a maker of false gods, but something happened to Abraham in Genesis 12:1. He learns of God's call again, in verse one. It says now the Lord said to Abram Get out of your country. From your family from your father's house to a land that I will show you. And listen, this is so important because Abraham's life of Faith starts right there. It's dark here in verse 1 of chapter 12 and this was not only the beginning of Abraham's faith in God. But an important beginning in the history of God's Redemptive work. We see in Abraham that Faith acts in response to God's call. And that is seen throughout scripture.
Faith always acts in response to God's call Faith never and cannot proceed the call of God. Do it is John's initiative that is emphasized at the beginning of Abraham's wife and I remember he's living in a pagan land. He is raised by a pagan the father. But yet verse 1 chapter 12 says now, the Lord said unto Abram Let's. Taking the initiative at the very beginning of Abraham's life of faith. God Sovereign Grace that goes forth with this saving call. It's very important to realize that Abraham was saved. Not because there was something special about Abraham. No, no. He was saved by virtue of God's Sovereign choice.
Abraham was not singled out because of his faith. But the cause of God's grace.
We might think that he was picked out because Abraham was a good man. but the Bible argues otherwise, God said through the prophet Isaiah. He said, listen to me. You who pursue righteousness you who seek the Lord. Look to the Rock from which you were hewn. into the Quarry from what you were dug look to Abraham your father and Sarah Who Bore You Isaiah's point, is that nothing in their ancestry? Commended them to God apart from God's gracious initiative. Joshua makes it even more clear and Joshua 24, he said, long ago, your father has lived Beyond Euphrates, the father of Abraham and they for they serve other gods. Then I took your father, Abraham from beyond the river and let him through all of the land of Canaan and made his offspring. Many So it's very plain to see that Abraham while a pagan and living in a pagan land raised by a pagan family. Abraham was not looking for God.
He was a pagan Idol worshiper, and it was God who first called him?
What Paul wrote in Romans chapter 3, verse 11 was true of Abraham as well. Romans 3:11 says, no one understands no one seeks after God. Abraham was save them because my God thought him. His face was preceded by God's called and responded, then Abraham responded. Then to God's call a call that came by grace alone, by God's Sovereign choice. And in the same way, God called Abraham, God calls. All of his children, God comes to us when we were hopelessly lost in seeing with having no knowledge of him. We were not looking for God, but I'm thankful this morning that God in his grace when we were not looking for God, he was looking for us and called us and saved us by his grace. This is the reception of Abraham's call.
Think about how big this call was by looking at the command of this call, God gives Abraham and verse One victim and he says, get out of your country. Get away from your family, get away from your father's house to a land that I will show you. And really leave the beat the shocking immensity of God's command. And you can just imagine the agonizing nature of Abraham's decision are indicated by the ascending order of Abraham's personal sacrifice. What did he have to sacrifice? Well, he had to sacrifice leaving his country. Leaving his homeland. He had a sacrifice leaving, the people who made up at Homeland and then he had to leave his father's household in which, in ancient times was a tremendous request.
And that since Abraham was asked to leave everything, he knew he was asked to leave everything that he loved behind to follow God.
And what made this decision to leave? Even more difficult was the vagueness. Of that command. He told him to leave those things. And to go to a land that I will show you.
Abraham was not told that Canaan was the land, God was talking about until he got there.
A Calvin says that this uncertainty Force, Abraham to trust God's word even more. He goes on to say that God was saying in effect. The Abraham, I command you to go forth with closed eyes and forbid, you to inquire where I'm about to lead. You until having renounced your country. You shall have give yourself entirely to me. So Abraham was asked to believe and obey the bear word alone. He was to obey scripture alone, God's word alone. It's a biscuit call to forsake. All is very much like the call of the Gospel very much like to call the gospel. Remember Jesus, what he said? Peace, whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me. Jesus also said for whosoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life, for my sake and the gospels will save it as of the gospels call to us. Is the rest, all of our Hope on the word, a price, and nothing else.
Jesus calls us. He does not tell us. About the Minor Details of the future. He doesn't tell us how everything would take place after we have come to faith in Christ. He does promise that he will take us to be with him one day, which is the ultimate land. Amen. He does promise forgiveness, he does promise having a piece giving us a peace that passes all understanding. He does promise that he will be with us and never forsake us. But Jesus does not say that all will be smooth. Here on Earth, he does not say that your problems will all be solve nor does he save nor does he promised a life of ease for the Christian? Listen, if you are looking for these kind of upfront promises before turning to Trice, listen, you will never get them. Never and if you persist in your requirements you will never come to Christ. Why? Because he calls you to trust his word alone.
Notice the comfort. And versus two and three.
John says, I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you and you and all your families of the Earth shall be blessed. So we see that Abraham was the recipient of some rich wonderful promises but they were promises that he himself would never experience in full because our ultimate fulfillment would come through. His descendants would come through his offspring first in believing is And then it would come Altima lie in the church. Galatians 3. And 29 tells us. If you are Christ's if you are in Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. And heirs, according to the promise.
Until the first half of the great promise. First of all, prophesize personal blessings upon Abraham.
Verse two again cuz I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. God's promise that Abraham would would become a great nation. Obviously if you know the situation, it did not really fit reality, did it? Because Abraham was childless. Sarah was barren. So you can imagine hearing from God and saying, hey from you is going to come a great nation and you're thinking, hold on a second. I don't even have a child, not even one. I'm 75 years old and my wife is barren. But yet Abraham was asked to believe in the dark, even in the dark. And more Abraham was promised that he would not merely become a great people. But a great nation. A nation that would have land. A nation that would have its own language in a nation that would have a form of government.
Also got promise to make Abraham's name great. Powerful mighty. The wording here. I will make your name great. He is clearly Royal language.
as matter fact later in Genesis chapter 17, Abraham will be promise that Kings Kings will come from him and Sarah will be called the mother of Kings. Still later, the hittite held Abraham, a prince designating him as royalty. A Thousand Years Later, King, David would be his Royal heir. And of course, there would come the ultimate King who God gave the name. That is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee, should bow.
Think about his personal blessings, but then we think about his Global blessings. The second half of the promise moose in the personal blessings for Abraham to specific. Global blessings verse 3 tells us again, I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you and you And and and you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed. Now understand that there is more than the law of Retribution at work in God's and God's curse for curse or blessing for blessing promise here. That it is true that those who bless Abraham of God said will be blessed. But is also true as it says, but him who curses you? Literally, it is him. Who disdains? You. Said I will curse. That is there is a there will be a heightened, disproportionate punishment for merely the staining Abraham. Abraham saw this principle worked out in his own life. You think about me a piss attacking? I've been Melech. We're blessed. Why? Because they honored Abraham but Hagar was cut off from Abraham's family for wife, for merely for merely this despising. Sarah. The Canaanites who were so distressed and so persecuted Israel. Are no more. There no more Canaanites.
Today, being that the ultimate fulfillment of Abraham's seed is the church. Those who are aligned themselves against the church, which is Abraham's seed. Heirs, according to the promise. Those who lie themselves against the church will not fare. Well,
We think about the old USSR.
which so oppressed the church, the time of day when the old Soviet Union fail, so to Any Nation, or any country that persecute sent takes vengeance upon the church, There is a, a, a punishment that God says that will take place. Now, God's people may suffer discrimination, they may be despised, but let the despisers beware.
Retribution and Justice will not be left to some impersonal operation of Faith. No. The Lord himself. The Lord himself, says he him. Who curses you? I will curse.
Notice Abraham's call ins with the soaring promised that all the families of the Earth. All of the families of the earth will be blessed through him. The build-up to this blessing is very clear. First of all, notice Abraham alone is blessed. And then Abraham's name is used as a blessing. Next Abraham's blessures are blessed. And I finally All Families behind blessing and Abraham. Of course, this is a prophetic statement that one day, all families, all the nations are going to Worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sadly, Abraham's. Descendants, the children of Israel. Never really did see. I really never did rise to that. Glorious task. It is only with Christ, the ultimate Seed of Abraham, that's of the Fulfillment came and blessing went out to all people Galatians chapter 3, In verse 8. Says, in the scripture. For seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. Preach the gospel to Abraham beforehand saying in you all the nations shall be blessed. So then or so then those who are of Faith are blessed with believing Abraham, And that verse those who are says go so well. With Psalm 117 where it says, praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise him. All people. For great is his steadfast love toward us and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord until we see the reception of Abraham's call noticed a response to the call noticed a response to the call and here we discover Abraham's response to the call of dawn to follow him. We noticed his departure for Bridgeport houses, so Abraham departed. As a lord has spoken unto him and lot went with him and Abraham was 70 and 5 years old. When he departed out of haran, Now, we don't have any of the details about the move. For example, we don't know how he broke the news to his father to Rob. We don't know how he broke the news to Sarah saying, Sarah, we're getting ready to move and Sarah asked him where we move into and Abraham saying the Sarah. I have no idea but pack your bags, right? We don't have that those details. All we know is that Abraham Departed. He responded to the call of God and follow him. And beloved such is the life of the Christian God calls and we follow him. God calls and we follow him as Jesus said, my sheep know me, and they know my voice. And they follow me.
But is it not interesting to note that Abraham was 75 years old when he began in this walk a face? so what up, what a blessing that is, if you're an older saint, and God has given you a good life and good health, that God still Wants to use you. He wants to use you and you can be use Miley for the Lord even in old age. very simple, but yet profound true that it mentions his age noticed his devotion verse 5, Then Abraham took Sarah his wife in a lot, his brother's son, and all of their possessions that they had gathered. And the people whom they had acquired in her on and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. So we can easily see that Abraham here was fully surrendered. He was totally committed to what following the Lord. He took his immediate family and all of the belongings that he had. Took those things with him. And in him doing this this tells us that he had no plans to turn back on God. He did not say to Sarah a Sarah. You stay here. And I'm going to go for a while. I'm going to follow. Until I see what's going on here. Then once I see what's going on, I'll come back and get you. No, no, no. He wasn't planning on returning to her on at all. Don't listen to me walking by faith. Requires total surrender.
Requires total surrender. We cannot walk by faith and continue to depend upon our past or our possessions or our abilities. God may not ask you to uproot your life and ask you to move to a foreign land, but we must be willing to surrender all we have in order to follow him. Because anything less than that is not walking by faith at all. Remember, the just shall live by faith. A 6, we see his dependents. R6S Abram pass through the land to the place of shechem. as far as the terebinth tree of Mariah and the Canaanites were then in the land, Not that, that's a very interesting detail here. That Abraham left her on to follow God without knowing where they were going. He passed through the land and came to seek them. At this point, he still hasn't heard anything new from the Lord, but he continues to walk by faith. There has been nothing to reveal how much further they will travel, or what they will face along the way. But yet we see Abraham who is generally continuing to walk by faith.
I'll listen how many of you know that our human nature. Absolutely hates that, right?
But that is often have a lord operates. There are times when he reveals to a specific details and at other times we all we have is just a command follow. So it is easy for us to been to get discouraged. It is easier for us to drift off course at times like this. There are times when we literally beg for a word from the Lord and yet all we hear is Simile silence. But even in those times, we must continue walking by faith. Even those times we must continue to trust. God, trusting him at hearing to what we know is true.
Notice lastly. The reassurance. In the call, the reassurance in Abraham's call.
No, December 7th. We see the Promise. and the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said to your descendants, I will give this land We don't know how long they traveled, or exactly how far they have gone. But in his time, The Lord offers a word of encouragement to Abraham. They're walking Faith had not ended, but God promised Abraham, that his children would possess the land that he now journey through. And just as the Lord reassured Abraham and strengthen his faith, we to have many, many precious promises that enable us to continue in our walk of faith. We need to be reminded. Today. That we are not home yet. Hey man. We must continue to follow the law. You must continue to walk by faith and not by sight, we see the promise but notice the praise and verse 7 in 8. Again in the Lord appeared to Abram and said to your descendants I will give this land and there he built an altar to the Lord and who had appear to him. Any move from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west of AI, on the East there, he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of Lord. I love that. But although still uncertain of where the Lord was leading, Abraham still yet, Abraham was faithful. He was faithful to offer the Lord Praise. He was still faithful to Worship the Lord. He prayed unto the Lord as he journeyed in the way.
That is he was dependent upon the Lord and he wanted to enjoy post fellowship with the Lord. Oh, how easy it is to become discouraged. Become disheartened when we are forced to walk by faith. There are times when it seems as if our prayers are unanswered. We may even feel alone in the journey, but listen, that is no time to abandon our faith. even when we cannot see the hand of God, we must Trust his hand. Even when we are filled with fear and doubt, we must continue to praise the Lord, and Worship the Lord, and seek his guidance in prayer. We can just consider Christ, Our great example. Even in this, that Jesus continue to pray to the father. Even in his dying moments on the cross.
Notice Abraham's persistence in verse 9.
Verse 9 says so Abram. Journeyed I love this going on. Still toward the South. Again, Abraham doesn't have anything specific.
He just continues his journey toward the South. You simply following the Lord walking by faith. God hasn't offered any new Direction and Abraham is persistent and following the Lord, until he receives a new word.
And may, I say that this is where we Many times struggle. We can maintain faith for just a while. but eventually we Face discouragement and we phased out, we find ourselves tempted to follow the path of our choosing. We find ourselves tempted to choose a different path and speak to work out a solution on our own. And those moments of Despair. We must resist that temptation. As Abraham, we must be persistent in the in the face and continually walking in the path that God has chosen for us. as Abraham, we must as verse 9 says, go on still Go on steel. Hey listen. Even if you're having financial difficulties, go on still Even if you're going through family, difficulties go on steel, even at the graveside of a loved one. Go on still. Living a life of the just shall live by faith.
So, Abraham's in Mishawaka face. I dunno really set the standard. There in dark. Godforsaken hour. He believed the bear word of the Lord. He believed the personal promises that he would become a great nation that and that his name would be great. He believed the global promises that his offspring would mediate, the blessings and cursing of God and that all the world in time. Will be blessed for his wife. It's all because he believed he left.
Hebrews 11 said by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called out to go to a place that he was to receive as inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. I like some of my trips. I think I have no idea where I'm going. I'm just driving by faith, right? Because he believes he left her because he believed Abraham became a pilgrim. He he became a Sojourner Again, Hebrews 11 verse 9 by faith. He went to live in the land of promise as in a foreign land living in tents with Isaac and Jacob Ayers with him of the same promise, for he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and Builder is God Because he believed he left her because he believed, he became a soldier there because he believed faithful Abraham worshipped wherever he went. Because he believed he proclaimed the name of the Lord. Call T, believe the gospel was announced. In advance in faithful Abraham. Remember this as we close. True fate. True Faith believes the bear word of God. True Faith. Ben steps out on God's word. Prophase follows wherever God's word directs. True Faith, worships wherever it goes and truefaith. Proclaims, the name of the Lord forever he calls us. Abraham says, the example of a man who was totally committed to a life of faith. I wonder this morning. Can you say the same thing? As you Journey here on this side of Heaven, are you a man or a woman of faith? Do you understand that the just shall live? The obituaries pattern of their life is a life of Fates the just shall live by faith. And if you're here this morning and you have never been saved, give never been born again. Put your face for God has, put your sins on Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ. And thou shalt be saved. Whosoever believes upon the Lord. Shall be saved. Trust him today. Let's pray together. Our father, or we are grateful, or for your word Grateful, or for this, tremendous example of faith. Lord help us in these dark days and which were living
to follow you. Obey. You and trust you in all that we do.
May it be said of us. that when people look at our lives at They see that we are men and women of faith.
men and women, who believe the bear word of the of of You're worth that obeys, even when it's difficult.
God, I pray that you give us and strengthen our faith Lord. if all our pray for all that is here, I've never been saved. Oh Lord. I pray that you would draw them to your son Jesus. A day-to-day will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. And Lord help us as we. Take just a moment. Reflect upon.
Your dear son's death.
On the cross, his broken body, his shed blood. although I pray that that we were select upon, Just payment for our Redemption.
Father asked a Christian may it motivate us? To live a life. I say that. Maybe we have never lived before. Follow me, love you and we asked all of these things in Christ name, amen.