Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

What do we do with our doubts?

It’s important that we understand the Abrahamic covenant.

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

Vss.

1-8 Abrahams Doubts and Fears

Abraham says, thanks, but he is full of doubts and fears.

He reminds God of the facts that he feels bring God’s promises into question.

God, I’ve got doubts about you and your promise.

Notice how quickly Abraham has more questions.

But the questions are different, first he had doubts about God; now he has doubts about himself.

Ok, God, I now know you, but I also know me.

I can be a real dumpster fire from time to time.

I remember a sign I saw in store many years ago; Browsers welcome; buyers adored.

Well, Doubters welcome,

believers adored.

Notice a couple of things about God’s response; one, He is not offended by Abrahams weakness.

Two, He gives him further assurance.

Three, He does not allow him to accommodate his doubt.

Open minded is not necessarily a virtue.

VSS 15:9-21 Comfort and Assurance of God

“Cutting Covenant” was a long practiced tradition in ancient society.

God put the covenant in a context that Abraham could understand.

The sacrifice was cut with both halves forming an aisle, and the covenant maker would pass between the halves, during which passage he would

make a vow along with a reward for compliance, and a curse for breaking that vow.

Vultures, often represent the demonic attempting to subvert the covenant by playing upon dead flesh.

A great sense of terror, dread.

Example, if you’re afraid of heights, it’s not that you think the heights hold malice against you, it’s the sudden revelation that if you respond wrongly to the heights, that you suffer the effects of gravity and cause yourself great harm.

God gives Abram more revelation of His plans, and further assurance that these things will come to pass.

It was customary in ancient, and especially Feudal societies, for Kings and conquerors to make covenants with vassals or with the conquered.

Only the lesser part passed between the sacrifices, not the King.

Abram expected that he would be the only one walking through the sacrifices.

Our King walked through the sacrifices, and prepaid the penalty for our disobedience.

God made a covenant with Abram.

God said, may the my body be torn, may I, who cannot die, die.

May I be cut off from life.

Fast forward to the cross:

No other religion compares to true Christianity.

All others proport to teach you how to find God and make peace with Him via your actions.

Christianity is God searching you out and making a peace with you on His terms, His actions, and at His expense.

As a young believer, I remember thinking, ok, I’m in Christ, but a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

God showed me a vision of a single link of chain, and I was not connected to, but inside of it.

It’s not simply who we are in Christ, it’s whose we are.

We can rest in the God who made covenant with us, in His nature, in His character.

We must trust Him, this thing called faith is relational, not simply legal.

We must believe that He is working all things to our good as Romans 8:28 tells us.

By the way, if all things were going to be good, why would someone need to work them?

We have a promise that everything is going to be all right, not that we can define all right, not that we can control the process.

In the end, at some point, it comes down to trust in Him that is called faith and counted for righteousness.