What Abraham knew of God, shaped how he live his life.
Read Hebrews 11:1-2 – “Faith is being sure of what we hope for & certain of what we do not see”
Faith means believing God’s truth even when you cannot see, feel, hear, taste, touch
Faith is confidence that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.
Faith is confidence in the promises and character of God. That’s it.
It does not place reliance on what is visible to our physical sight
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Read Hebrews 11:8 – 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.
1. Abraham Trusted in God
A. He Trusted in God to Go
He trusted God to go, even though he did not know where he was going
Faith to Trust God and Obey. He was willing to go from all that was secure, prosperous, peaceful and enjoyable
Heart that was eager to do what the Lord required
A man of faith who refused to put limits on his obedience
He trusted that God would provide whatever he needed wherever he went
Proverb 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
All your heart
Lean not on your own understanding
Q – How do we lean on our own understanding?
When we trust our feelings, opinions & what makes sense to us over what God expects of us
In all our ways acknowledge him
Trusting in the Lord requires not always understanding before we obey
Abraham did not understand everything before He obeyed
“We receive enlightenment only in proportion as we give ourselves more completely to God by humble submission and love. We do not first see, and then act. We act then see…and that is why the man who waits to see clearly before he will believe never starts on the jouney. (Thomas Merton, Ascent to Truth).
He Trusted in God more than wealth
Abram sets out and took his wife, nephew(Lot) all their possessions and people they acquired
In Chapter Genesis 13, Abraham and Lot go their separate ways –Abraham give Lot first choice
Abraham did not put his trust in wealth, therefore his decision was not based on wealth
Proverbs 11:28 – Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
Whoever trusts in riches will fall
We trust in wealth to provide us with happiness, security, stability and confidence
We put our trust in wealth when it has the final say in our life
Abram trusted more in God than wealth, and was quite surrendered about giving lot first choice of the land. Lot made a decision based on wealth, rather than spiritual health and face dire consequences
Some questions to consider:
Q – Who or what do you trust in this morning?
Q – Do you trust in God to obey Him, no questions asked?
Q – Do you trust in God even when things do not make sense?
Q – Do you trust in wealth? Is it where you find security?
Q – Doe it have the final say in your life?
2. Abraham Lived A Life of Sacrifice
In Genesis 15:1-5, God makes a covenant with Abram and promises that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky
Abraham and Sarah have a child in their old age named Isaac
They have a son (Isaac)
In Genesis 22, counselors will work with both you and your lenders to find a fair resolution. Abraham is tested. Read Genesis 22:1-18
Abraham called to sacrifice his son.
He must have been bewildered at God’s command; not make any sense
For Abraham, as far as we know, he would not have seen this before
It seemed ridiculous to offer this gift (his son) in which through his offspring he would be blessed
Abraham still determined to obey & sacrifice. Abraham held onto the truth of God’s promise, believing that if Isaac was to be killed as a sacrifice, God would raise him from the dead
Abraham gave everything for the Lord. He did not hold anything back; no matter how difficult it was, no matter hold old he was & no matter how often he did in the past.
What does this mean for us Today?:
God calls us to a life of sacrifice. Yet we can find ourselves holding back:
Holding back our Money – rather than sacrifice, things like money, material possessions, financial security become # 1 priority
Holding back our Time – Rather than sacrificing our time to share our faith, study the bible with people, get up in the mornings to pray & read our bible, time is invested elsewhere; family, work, hobbies, sleep, etc.
Holding Back our Heart – from God. Not believe He will provide so provide for ourselves
Hold back in fear – too concerned about what people think of us
Hold back our energy – older & tired. We can think like Abraham: Lord, Have I not shown you enough?
we can list off the things we did in the past and feel justified in not doing what God expects today
Like Abraham, we must believe God is Faithful and God will provide.
As a result, live the life of sacrifice God calls us to live
Abraham believe God was faithful and would provide.
As a result, he lived a life of sacrifice. Let us make decisions to not hold back anything from God, but to live a life of sacrifice so we can serve God