The Paradox of Abraham: Faith to Go and Stay

It's not that he's not talking. It's that so many of us aren't listening. So many of us don't even know how to hear his voice. Well, do you hear his voice? Through the men and women of God all around you? Well, in the multitude of counsel there's wisdom. Why it's so important you surround yourself with people who love Jesus and filled with his spirit and are pursuing his kingdom. Either the friend group around you, the people in your life are leading you toward the plan of the enemy or they're leading you toward the kingdom of God. You gotta listen to the right people. [00:53:52] (32 seconds)  #ChooseGodlyFriends

Satan's plan for your life almost always makes sense because it never takes any faith to walk in it. Well, of course, God's plan isn't always obvious. God's plan doesn't always make sense. God, you want me to give what? It's always contradictory to our flesh. God, what do you want me to give? Well, we don't we won't have enough. Well, of course, God wants to take you to a place where he can be your provider. You want me to forgive who? God, they hurt me worse than anybody else has ever hurt me. That doesn't make sense in our flesh. You want me to forgive them? [01:02:51] (48 seconds)  #FaithOverComfort

And some of you just need to let go of the past. You need to let go of old friend groups. You need to let go of the way you used to live. And if they had wandered around the desert thinking about the homeland that they had come from, they would have gone back. But they stayed focused on where God was calling them. They now desire a better place, a heavenly one. And I'm really asking you this morning, what's the desire of your heart? I'm telling you, in the midst of the fallenness of this world, in the midst of the pain and disease, in the midst of the war, in the midst of all the division, in the midst of all the persecution, don't you desire a better place, a better home? [01:18:06] (43 seconds)  #EyesOnHeaven

They were so focused on what was ahead. They endured forty minute lines. They stood there. They took it like a champ, two years old. And the closer we got, the more excited they got. When they heard their voice, they just could hardly stand it. When they saw them around the corner, they just had to run to be close to them. And I said, that is the Christian life. Well, we're in this pattern of waiting right now. But this is the heart of what it is, to see our faith from afar, to greet what's coming before it gets here. I'm telling you the return of Jesus is so close. Even so come, Lord Jesus come. [01:23:24] (41 seconds)  #AwaitHisReturn

And I'm telling you, God's calling us to stay faithful so that the next generation will know him. What we do today matters. And it'll matter for eternity. Abraham had the faith to stay, even a foreigner, intense. He had the faith to stay so that his children would know how to walk with the Lord, so that they would get all that God had for them. And the final thing I see, he had the faith to stay focused on heaven. I love a few verses down, verse 10. Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations whose architect and builder is God. He always kept his eyes on where God was calling him to. [01:17:05] (51 seconds)  #StayForTheNextGen

But it's not just the general call on all believers. There is a very specific call on your life. You know God has a plan for you? God has a plan for your life. What is he telling you to do? He has a calling on your life. Over 2,000 times in the Old Testament the Lord spoke directly to somebody. Over 2,000 times. And he's still speaking today. I love that the great commission ends with this line. Remember I am with you always, even to the end of the age. I'm telling you, God wants to speak to you right now. [00:51:43] (41 seconds)  #GodHasACallingForYou

And I believed he stayed for the next generation. His life is a model for them. His life is an example to them. And I'm telling you right now, if you don't have any staying power for yourself, stay for who's coming on behind you. Stay faithful to the call of God. Stay faithful to the cause of Christ. I love how the psalmist says that in Psalm 78, we will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praise worthy acts of the Lord, his might and the wondrous works that he has performed. [01:11:45] (34 seconds)  #PassTheFaith

Some of you this morning, you don't know God, you don't have a relationship with God, and yet you're gonna hear his voice. And I'm telling you, you'll know it's him. It's undeniable, the voice of God in your life. And so you get called towards salvation. God God calls us toward holiness. I I love first Peter says he's called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. We're called toward holiness. Peter says be holy as he is holy. We're called toward obedience and holiness. But probably the most famous call for believers is found in in Matthew chapter 28. [00:49:17] (38 seconds)  #CalledToHoliness