Abraham's Call Series

• The first eleven chapters of Genesis covers some 2000 years of history. These next fourteen chapters of Genesis deal with Abraham.

• Terrah, Abrams father went a third of the way to the promise land.

• God placed His call on Abram.

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Gen 12:4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

Gen 12:6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

• This is one of the most important events in Israel’s history.

• With this call of God on Abram, essentially, the nation of Israel is born.

• God looks on a world of people who had almost all universally surrendered to idol worship.

• Abram listens, and it is no small thing to pack up all your possessions and go somewhere that you were not aware of.

• The Hebrew writer put it like this…

• “Heb 11:8-9 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. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents…

• As a result, Abram is one of the most described lives in the Old Testament.

• Tonight, as we consider his calling, let’s look at how God orders our steps in obedience.

I. Background is less important that calling.

• What was significant about Abram’s background?

• He was the son of Terrah, a resident of Ur of the Chaldese who moved to Haran.

• That’s it.

• He wasn’t a rising star in the Kingdom of God. He was 75 years old.

• Now, if you’re 75 years old or older, well, even if you are just approaching 75 years, I am not saying that’s old.

• As a matter of fact, 75 years old is looking younger to me every year.

• What I am saying is this, that is not an age you would expect to be called to go to an uncivilized mission field and start a new mission.

• Today, I would doubt many 75 years olds could pass the physical.

• George Burns once said, "Tennis is a game for young people. Until age 25, you can play singles. From there until age 35, you should play doubles. I won't tell you my age, but when I played, there were 28 people on the court -- just on my side of the net.

• Here is a man and wife, past their prime, with no children, and God tells them, “Hey guys, I want to use you to start a new nation.”

• So Abram’s only qualification is this, God called him.

• I don’t know a Christian who doesn’t want to do something to give God great glory.

• Most of us look at our qualifications and think, Oh well, maybe somebody gifted can do it.

• Maybe somebody with the right talents will show up and handle this.

• Listen to me, Abram testifies clearly that the only qualification that matters is to listen to God’s call and say yes.

• Then you get up and go.

II. The destination is not emphasized as much as the next step.

• I probably have too much of an imagination, but here is what I picture.

• Sarai asks Abram, “Where we going?”

• Abram answers, “I don’t know. We are just supposed to go this way.”

• Nephew Lot, who decided to go with them, asks, “Well, if we don’t know where we are going, how will we know when we get there?”

• Abram answers, “I think we will know when we get there.”

• So for the rest of the trip. Lot asks, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”

• See, you have wondered where that came from.