Transcript Abraham – Father Of Faith

Abraham – Father Of Faith
Part 2 – Abraham Is Promised The Land
Of Canaan
Abraham Prospers And
Worships
 Genesis 13 - 1 Then Abram went up
from Egypt, he and his wife and all that
he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2
Abram was very rich in livestock, in
silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his
journey from the South as far as Bethel,
to the place where his tent had been at
the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4
to the place of the altar which he had
made there at first. And there Abram
called on the name of the LORD.
Abraham Has Become Wealthy
 Abraham had gone down to
Egypt because of a
drought.
 There he had made a big
mistake regarding Sarah.
 But still God protected
Abram and blessed him.
 He came out of Egypt very
wealthy.
 God’s love is unconditional
Abram Heads Back To God
 After his big mistake in
Egypt Abram heads back
to the place where he met
God and calls on the
name of the Lord.
 Abram is grateful for
God’s unconditional love
 We need to head straight
back to God when we
make a mistake in life.
Prosperity
 God sometimes grants great
financial prosperity to His
saints.
 However this is not seen all
the time - e.g. Paul
 Abraham was given the
prosperity needed to found
a dynasty.
 Prosperity comes when you
are in the purposes of God
and is for the purposes of
God.
Lot & Abraham Separate
 5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds
and tents. 6 Now the land was not able to support them,
that they might dwell together, for their possessions were
so great that they could not dwell together. 7 And there
was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock
and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and
the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
8. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife
between you and me, and between my herdsmen and
your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole
land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the
left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right,
then I will go to the left.”
Abram Is Gracious
 Abram gives his much
junior nephew Lot the
choice of the best land.
 Abram avoids conflict
 Abram does not grasp
at this world’s goods
and advantages.
 Abram does not
dominate but is meek
and humble.
Holding Possessions Lightly
 Christians are not to be
part of the “rat race”.
 We are to hold our
possessions lightly
 We need to be able to give
away the best to others
 We need to believe that
God will make it up to us.
Lot Chooses Sodom
 10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the
plain of Jordan, that it was well watered
everywhere (before the LORD destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of
the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go
toward Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed
east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of
Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent
even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly
wicked and sinful against the LORD.
Prosperity vs. Promise
 Lot chose immediate
prosperity – and
compromise and dwelt
near Sodom
 Abram chose the Promise
and dwelt in Canaan and
relied on God.
 Christians may have to
choose between prosperity
and promise.
The Cost Of Compromise
 First wealthy Lot dwells “near
Sodom”
 Then Lot dwells “in Sodom”
 Then Lot’s daughters are
engaged to the men of Sodom
 Finally his wife is killed and
his daughters commit incest.
 Compromise cost Lot
everything and he ends up
living in a cave.
God Promises The Land To
Abram
14 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated
from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the
place where you are—northward, southward,
eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which
you see I give to you and your descendants forever.
16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of
the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of
the earth, then your descendants also could be
numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its
length and its width, for I give it to you.” 18 Then
Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the
terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and
built an altar there to the LORD.
Abram Is Rewarded
 Abram does not lose
out by being gracious
but is instead given the
whole land.
 God honors those who
keep His
commandments.
 We can trust God to
reward us in the long
run.
God’s Promises Take Time
 It took about 500 years for
Abram’s descendants to
become numerous and to
inherit the land.
 It even took 25 years just for
Isaac to be born.
 Faith + Patience = Inherits
The Promise!
Abram Saw The Promise
Fulfilled
 Abram was still alive (in
Heaven) when Moses was called
at the burning bush.
 Abraham was able to observe
the ministry of Jesus thousands
of years later.
 Christians live forever and most
of our reward will be in the
Millennium, after Jesus returns.
Abraham Is Still Alive!
 Matthew 22:31-32 HCSB Now
concerning the resurrection of the
dead, haven't you read what was
spoken to you by God: (32) I am the
God of Abraham and the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob? He is not the
God of the dead, but of the living."
 John 8:56 HCSB Your father Abraham
was overjoyed that he would see My
day; he saw it and rejoiced."
Our Future Reward
 Matthew 19:27-30 HCSB Then Peter responded
to Him, "Look, we have left everything and
followed You. So what will there be for us?"
(28) Jesus said to them, "I assure you: In the
Messianic Age, when the Son of Man sits on
His glorious throne, you who have followed Me
will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes
of Israel. (29) And everyone who has left
houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother,
children, or fields because of My name will
receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal
life. (30) But many who are first will be last, and
the last first.
Faith Is In Forever
 Faith only makes sense
if we live forever!
 Why sacrifice now if
there is “nothing” later!
 We have to believe in
the Resurrection
 True Christians live in
the light of Eternity.
Its Not About The Visible!
 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 HCSB (16)
Therefore we do not give up; even
though our outer person is being
destroyed, our inner person is being
renewed day by day. (17) For our
momentary light affliction is producing
for us an absolutely incomparable
eternal weight of glory. (18) So we do
not focus on what is seen, but on what
is unseen; for what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
Walk Through The Land!
 Abraham was told to walk
through his inheritance.
 We need to act as if we have
received the reward.
 We need to believe that we
have received!
 Faith acts on God’s promises.
Believing You Have Received!
Mark 11:22-24 HCSB Jesus replied to them, "Have
faith in God. (23) I assure you: If anyone says to
this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the
sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that what he says will happen, it will be
done for him. (24) Therefore, I tell you, all the
things you pray and ask for--believe that you
have received them, and you will have them.
1 John 5:14-15 HCSB Now this is the confidence we
have before Him: whenever we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. (15) And if we
know that He hears whatever we ask, we know
that we have what we have asked Him for.