Faithful Journey: Embracing God's Call and Promises

 

Summary

In the twelfth chapter of Genesis, God calls Abram to leave his country, kindred, and father's house to journey to a land that God will show him. This call marks a pivotal moment in the history of humanity and the unfolding of God's plan. The Bible, often criticized as being outdated, is in fact the most practical and relevant book, addressing the real issues of life and living. It reveals God's intervention in human history and His plan for humanity, which began with creation and continued through the call of Abram.

The world, created by God, is not a product of chance. Humanity, made in God's image, was meant to live in harmony with Him. However, sin disrupted this relationship, leading to chaos and suffering. Despite humanity's repeated failures, God initiated a new plan through Abram, forming a people for Himself. Abram's story is central to understanding the Bible's message, as it illustrates the possibility of a life in communion with God, distinct from the chaos of a life lived independently of Him.

Abram's call is a call to repentance, a turning away from a life centered on self and human achievement, symbolized by the city and tower of Babel, to a life centered on God. This call involves a separation from the old life and an embrace of a new life under God's guidance and blessing. Abram's faith, demonstrated by his obedience to God's call, is a model for us. He believed God's promises and acted on them, even without tangible proof, trusting in God's word alone.

This life of faith is offered to us through Jesus Christ. It is a life of peace with God, forgiveness of sins, and a new identity as children of God. It is a life that looks beyond the temporary and transient to the eternal city of God. Like Abram, we are called to live as strangers and pilgrims in this world, with our eyes fixed on the eternal promises of God.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Call to Leave and Follow God: Abram's call to leave his homeland symbolizes the call to leave behind a life centered on self and human achievement. This call to repentance is a turning away from a life independent of God to one that is centered on Him. It is a call to recognize the transient nature of worldly achievements and to seek a life of eternal significance with God. [24:03]

2. Faith and Obedience: Abram's faith was demonstrated by his obedience to God's call, even without tangible proof. He trusted in God's promises and acted on them, showing that true faith involves trusting God's word and acting upon it, even when the path is unclear. This faith is the foundation of a life in communion with God. [37:27]

3. The Promise of a New Life: God's call to Abram included the promise of a new life, a great nation, and blessings. This promise is extended to us through Jesus Christ, offering a life of peace with God, forgiveness of sins, and a new identity as children of God. It is a life that transcends the temporary and looks forward to the eternal. [30:45]

4. Living as Strangers and Pilgrims: Like Abram, we are called to live as strangers and pilgrims in this world, recognizing its transient nature and keeping our eyes fixed on the eternal city of God. This perspective helps us to live with purpose and hope, knowing that our true home is with God. [43:36]

5. The Eternal Perspective: Abram's life teaches us to look beyond the temporary and transient to the eternal promises of God. This eternal perspective gives us hope and strength to endure the challenges of this life, knowing that our ultimate destination is the eternal city of God, where we will experience everlasting joy and peace. [46:50]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to Abram's Call
- [01:15] - The Relevance of the Bible
- [02:47] - Creation and the Fall
- [04:19] - The Consequences of Sin
- [06:10] - The Flood and Babel
- [08:28] - God's New Plan with Abram
- [10:24] - The Significance of Abram's Story
- [12:35] - Abram: The Friend of God
- [14:25] - Living by Faith
- [16:38] - The Unchanging Nature of Life
- [18:15] - God's Call to Abram
- [20:23] - The Call to Repentance
- [24:03] - Separation from the Old Life
- [30:45] - God's Promise to Abram
- [37:27] - Faith and Obedience
- [43:36] - Living as Strangers and Pilgrims
- [46:50] - The Eternal Perspective

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Genesis 12:1-4

Observation Questions:
1. What specific instructions did God give to Abram in Genesis 12:1-4, and how did Abram respond to these instructions? [00:30]
2. According to the sermon, how does the story of Abram challenge the common criticism that the Bible is outdated and irrelevant? [01:34]
3. What were the consequences of humanity's actions at Babel, and how does this contrast with God's call to Abram? [07:52]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Abram's call to leave his homeland symbolize a call to repentance and a life centered on God, as discussed in the sermon? [24:03]
2. In what ways does Abram's faith and obedience serve as a model for believers today, according to the sermon? [37:27]
3. How does the promise of a new life through Jesus Christ relate to the promises made to Abram, as explained in the sermon? [30:45]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt called to leave behind something familiar or comfortable. How did you respond, and what can you learn from Abram's example? [24:03]
2. Abram trusted God's promises without tangible proof. Is there a promise from God that you find difficult to trust? How can you strengthen your faith in this area? [37:27]
3. The sermon mentions living as strangers and pilgrims in this world. What practical steps can you take to keep your focus on the eternal city of God in your daily life? [43:36]
4. Consider the transient nature of worldly achievements. How can you shift your focus from temporary successes to seeking a life of eternal significance with God? [24:03]
5. Abram's life teaches us to look beyond the temporary to the eternal promises of God. How can this perspective help you endure current challenges in your life? [46:50]
6. Identify an area in your life where you are living independently of God. What changes can you make to align more closely with a life centered on Him? [25:56]
7. How can you actively embrace your identity as a child of God and live out the peace and forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ in your interactions with others? [30:45]

Devotional

Day 1: The Call to Leave and Follow God
Abram's call to leave his homeland is a profound symbol of the spiritual journey each believer is invited to undertake. It represents a call to repentance, a turning away from a life centered on self and human achievement, and a movement towards a life centered on God. This call challenges us to recognize the transient nature of worldly achievements and to seek a life of eternal significance with God. It is a call to leave behind the familiar and comfortable, to step into the unknown with faith, trusting that God will guide and provide. This journey is not just about physical relocation but a transformation of the heart and mind, aligning our lives with God's purposes. [24:03]

Hebrews 11:8-10 (ESV): "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to step out in faith and leave behind the familiar? How can you begin to take steps in that direction today?


Day 2: Faith and Obedience
Abram's journey is a testament to the power of faith and obedience. Despite having no tangible proof, Abram trusted in God's promises and acted on them. This demonstrates that true faith involves trusting God's word and acting upon it, even when the path is unclear. Abram's faith was not passive; it was active and demonstrated through his obedience. This kind of faith is foundational for a life in communion with God, as it requires us to rely not on our understanding but on God's promises and guidance. [37:27]

James 2:21-23 (ESV): "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'—and he was called a friend of God."

Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate your faith through obedience to God's word today, even if the outcome is uncertain?


Day 3: The Promise of a New Life
God's call to Abram included the promise of a new life, a great nation, and blessings. This promise is extended to us through Jesus Christ, offering a life of peace with God, forgiveness of sins, and a new identity as children of God. It is a life that transcends the temporary and looks forward to the eternal. This promise invites us to embrace a new identity and purpose, living not for ourselves but for God's glory. It is a call to experience the fullness of life that God offers, rooted in His love and grace. [30:45]

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."

Reflection: How can you embrace your new identity in Christ today, and what steps can you take to live out this new life in your daily interactions?


Day 4: Living as Strangers and Pilgrims
Like Abram, we are called to live as strangers and pilgrims in this world, recognizing its transient nature and keeping our eyes fixed on the eternal city of God. This perspective helps us to live with purpose and hope, knowing that our true home is with God. It encourages us to hold loosely to the things of this world and to invest in what is eternal. As pilgrims, we are on a journey, and our lives should reflect the values and priorities of the kingdom of God, not the fleeting desires of this world. [43:36]

1 Peter 2:11-12 (ESV): "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."

Reflection: What is one way you can live as a pilgrim today, focusing on eternal values rather than temporary desires?


Day 5: The Eternal Perspective
Abram's life teaches us to look beyond the temporary and transient to the eternal promises of God. This eternal perspective gives us hope and strength to endure the challenges of this life, knowing that our ultimate destination is the eternal city of God, where we will experience everlasting joy and peace. By keeping our eyes on the eternal, we can navigate the trials and tribulations of life with resilience and faith, trusting that God's promises are true and that our future with Him is secure. [46:50]

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Reflection: How can you shift your focus from the temporary challenges you face to the eternal promises of God, and what practical steps can you take to maintain this perspective daily?

Quotes


The Bible constantly refers to Abram; there are references to him constantly in the Old Testament, there are references to him constantly in the New Testament. Abram is the god that's his title. Here is a man, you see, who walked with God and in the presence of God and who stands out as one of the noblest characters that the world has ever seen. [00:12:30]

Abram lived in a pagan land and he had been brought up as a pagan. They worshipped a multiplicity of gods, and there he is living with the rest. And this is what I read: Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee. [00:18:15]

The call that comes to every man is the call to repentance. What Abram is asked to do by God is this: to look at the kind of life which he was living and to see that that is wrong and that he must therefore come out of it. Now that's what the Bible calls, as I say, repentance. [00:26:23]

Faith means believing the Word of God. It means that I believe this, that I believe what God tells me about that other kind of life in this world. What is my view of that life? Do I take my view of it from the newspapers, or do I take my view of it from this book? [00:38:27]

Abram decided to regard himself as a stranger and a pilgrim upon the earth. He said farewell forever to that Babel view of life, to the solidity of the city, to life in this world with its bricks and mortar and men glorifying themselves. Farewell to it, he said. [00:43:36]

Abram went out not knowing where he went, but he didn't know with whom he was going, and that is the very essence of faith, that you risk, you bank your all upon the Lord Jesus Christ. You notice the other way in which it's put there in the 11th of Hebrews. [00:42:36]

Abram was told that there was this other life he could enter into it here and now. It might be the life of a journeyman in this world; he might have to live in tents with his children, but he is going to God. He's right with God. God's going to bless him. [00:39:56]

The world is as it is because of sin, because man has become alienated from God, because he's been trying to live this independent life. It produced immediate chaos, and the chaos has continued. And of course, man having done this, God has pronounced judgment upon him. [00:05:05]

The Bible says, you see, that the world has been made by God and that man has been made by God and made in the image of God and made in such a way that he can only live a full and a happy life as long as he is true to the law of his being. [00:04:03]

The essence of the message, I would remind you again, is this: that once man sinned, he put himself under the power and under the influence and the dominion of the devil, who since then has been controlling the life of this world. But now God has come in. [00:10:30]

The call of Abram is something which we must understand if we would really understand what the Bible tells us with regard to the possibilities confronting us at this moment. We are all aware of the state of the world. I didn't detain you with that, but the question is this: are we aware of the other possibility? [00:11:21]

Abram's world was exactly like our world. Things like aeroplanes and motorcars, of course, don't matter at all. They're mere incidentals. That isn't life. Life, I say, was exactly the same to Abram and his contemporaries as it is to us. [00:15:37]

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