Abraham's Descendants Series

I. EXORDIUM:

Is there anything too hard for the LORD?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show through the example of Abraham saying nothing is impossible with GOD and by faith everything is possible.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 11:12 (Amplified Bible)

11:12 So from one man, though he was physically as good as dead, there have sprung descendants whose number is as the stars of heaven and as countless as the innumerable sands on the seashore.

V. THESIS:

Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS, for nothing is impossible with You, everything is possible to those who have faith.

VI. TITLE:

Abraham's descendants

Subtitle: Study on the Book of Hebrews

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Date of writing: Before AD. 70

B. Style of writing: Best Greek style

C. Authorship: Not specific, but generally attributed to Apostle Paul. Can be also ascribed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos

D. Audience: Hebrew Christians

E. Theme: Christ is superior to the prophets; Christ is superior to angels—J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

F. Purpose: The chief doctrinal purpose of the writer was to show the transcendent glory of the Christian dispensation, as compared with that of the Old Testament.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Keyword: better

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Whose number is as the stars of heaven

"there have sprung descendants whose number is as the stars of heaven"

Stars or "astron" in Hebrew meaning: constellation, a single star.

Romans 4:17 (Amplified Bible)

4:17 As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.

Nehemiah 9:23 (Amplified Bible)

9:23 Their children You also multiplied as the stars of heaven and brought them into the land which You told their fathers they should go in and possess.

Deuteronomy 1:10 (Amplified Bible)

1:10 The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of the heavens for multitude.

Exodus 32:13 (Amplified Bible)

32:13 [Earnestly] remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self and said to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.

GOD's promises to Abraham was fulfilled thru Isaac, though Abraham is an old man and impotent. These limited physical features of Abraham did not hindered GOD's promises because GOD's promises can't be hindered by physical limitation of men. With men this is impossible but with GOD all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26 (Amplified Bible)

19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.

B. Countless as the innumerable sands on the seashore

"and as countless as the innumerable sands on the seashore"

Sands or "ammos" in Greek meaning: sand, heaped on the beach

Romans 4:18 (Amplified Bible)

4:18 [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.

Isaiah 48:19 (Amplified Bible)

48:19 Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like the offspring of the sea; their name would not be cut off or destroyed from before Me.

1 Kings 4:20 (Amplified Bible)

4:20 Judah and Israel were many, like the sand which is by the sea in multitude; they ate, drank, and rejoiced.

Joshua 11:4 (Amplified Bible)

11:4 And they went out with all their hosts, much people, like the sand on the seashore in number, with very many horses and chariots.

IX. CONCLUSION:

Romans 4:19 (Amplified Bible)

4:19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb.

Matthew 17:20 (Amplified Bible)

17:20 He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Jeremiah 32:17 (Amplified Bible)

32:17 Alas, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too hard or too wonderful for You—

Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS, for nothing is impossible with You, everything is possible to those who have faith.