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God’s Call: Abraham’s Journey of Faith Genesis 12:1-13:4

God’s Call: Abraham’s Journey of Faith Genesis 12:1-13:4. Old Testament recurring theme: God calls individual people to a point of decision and we see their response and the consequences of their choices. The point of decision primarily requires one thing: FAITH

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God’s Call: Abraham’s Journey of Faith Genesis 12:1-13:4

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  1. God’s Call: Abraham’s Journey of FaithGenesis 12:1-13:4 • Old Testament recurring theme: • God calls individual people to a point of decision and we see their response and the consequences of their choices. • The point of decision primarily requires one thing: FAITH • A life of faith is a life of decision followed by action. • James 1:22 (NIV) - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

  2. Abraham is a very significant figure in Scripture. • Genesis 12 -- still has the name Abram • Abram  means “exalted father” • God chose him to be the father of a nation of people • God’s Call – Abram’s Faith Response • God’s Test – Abram’s Foolish Reaction • God’s Grace - Abram’s Fellowship Restored

  3. 1. God’s Call – Abram’s Faith Response • Many times God stretches us to go outside of our comfort zone – to exercise FAITH in order to follow him. • God’s call to Abram was first a call of salvation. • A call that required a response of faith and trust in God. • Abram came from a family of idol worshipers

  4. Joshua 24:2 (NIV) - “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. • Abram and his family came from the large city of Ur

  5. God called Abram out of this sinful lifestyle of pagan worship to follow the one true living God

  6. Why did God choose Abram? • God called him through an act of his GRACE. • God’s covenant with Abram: • Genesis 12:2–3 (NIV) - “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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

  7. God continues to reveal his plan of salvation. • Through Abram’s descendants, the Saviour of the world would come. • “all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” • Abram responded to God’s call by faith.

  8. Galatians 3:8–9 (NIV) The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. • Salvation has always been by grace through faith. • Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

  9. When Abram arrived he worshipped God: • Genesis 12:7–8 (NIV) The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 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.

  10. 2. God’s Test – Abram’s Foolish Reaction • Abram was a great man of faith. • When trails come, our faith can falter • Genesis 12:10 (NIV) 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. • Abram abandoned the land of promise God showed him and ran to Egypt for quick relief. • God was testing Abram’s faith.

  11. Abram’s failure was that he did not consult God for direction in his moment of crisis. • Look at the consequences of his sin: • He lied to Pharaoh about Saraibeing his sister to save himself. • In Egypt, Saraiacquired a slave woman named Hagar • It was in Egypt that Lot most likely developed a lust for wealth and luxury • When our faith gets side tracked from God’s will it opens the door for things to go wrong.

  12. Our lives are constantly being observed by the unbelieving world around us. • 1 Peter 2:12 (NIV) - Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. • The world is watching our behaviour and our attitudes. • We need to be alert about our testimony to those around us.

  13. 3. God’s Grace - Abram’s Fellowship Restored • In spite of our sin and failures God still loves his children and showers blessings on us. • It begins with repentance. • Forgiveness follows repentance. • 1 John 1:9 (NIV) - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

  14. Genesis 13:1-4 (NIV) - So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him…From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord. • Bethel means “house of God” • Abram returned to the “house of God” and worshipped him.

  15. The wonderful value of this Old Testament story of God’s call to Abram: • God calls people – and he is still calling people today to follow him. • God’s promise of blessing to all nations has been fulfilled in Christ • God sometimes tests us to strengthen our faith • Our disobedience has consequences. • God is merciful and patient with us and calls us to repentance and offers forgiveness

  16. Are you living by faith like Abram? • Respond today! Trust in Christ to save you from your sin and begin the journey of faith as a child of God. • Have you gotten side tracked in your life of faith? • Return today! Come back to renewed fellowship with him. • Our journey of faith is not a call to perfection but a call to perseverance •  a call to faithful obedience to God Word

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