Abraham - The Father Of Hearing Series

Scripture: John 10:1-5; Genesis 12:1-9

Theme: Hearing God’s Voice

Title: Abraham – The Father of Hearing

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Over the next few weeks I would like for us to go on a little adventure together. It is an adventure that focuses on being able to hear God’s voice clearer in our lives. It’s not an impossible adventure. In fact, it is an adventure that God is always inviting us to join.

We understand that by remembering what Jesus shares in John chapter 10 –

“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them on.”

Jesus was highlighting the relationship that existed between a shepherd and his sheep. He was highlighting how the sheep intimately knew the voice of their shepherd. How the sheep could hear their shepherd’s voice over all other voices and noises that surrounded them.

Scholars tell us that ancient shepherds developed a deep caring and loving relationship with their flocks of sheep. Ancient shepherds depended on their sheep almost as much as the sheep depended on their shepherds. An ancient shepherd depended on his sheep’s ability to provide such things as wool, lanolin, cheese, meat and landscaping assistance. It was a long lasting relationship that normally spanned around 10-12 years or more.

Unlike today where modern commercial sheep folds can run into the hundreds and thousands in ancient times most shepherds had less than 100 sheep with the majority of rural flocks being less than 50. Because of that, sheep naturally became more than just their livestock, they became a part of their lives. Each day working with the same sheep, naming them and caring after them was far different than what we see on many commercial sheep ranches today where sheep are raised merely for food and where many are slaughtered before they are one year old.

So, what was Jesus trying to tell us?

I believe Jesus was telling us:

+As God’s sheep, we are to understand that the LORD loves us. In fact, He loves so much that He would die for us – and He did through His Son - God in Flesh – Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

+As God’s sheep the LORD wants to talk to us and wants us to talk back to Him. I think we are to understand that we are to be able to hear and understand God’s voice and in like manner He hears and understands our voices.

And perhaps that is the rub.

Many people believe that it is impossible to hear God’s voice. Others believe that it is possible but as yet they have not heard God’s voice. And still others enjoy communicating with the LORD on a regular basis.

Over the next few weeks I want us to look at several people in the Bible that God did speak to and see if they can help us understand how we can be better connected to God and hear Him a bit clearer in our lives. For I believe that many times God is speaking to us and we are listening, but we may not always be aware of His presence, His voice and His direction.

One of the people that enjoyed talking to the LORD and hearing God talk to him was a man named Abraham.

In fact, the Bible records at least 10 conversations that God had with Abraham.

It is easy to begin to read Abraham’s story and be overwhelmed at the thought of God talking.

+I mean what was so special about Abraham?

+Why did God talk so much to him?

+What caused Abraham and God to be so close?

Actually, there was nothing special about Abraham. And I believe over the next few weeks we will see that we may have enjoyed more conversations with God than those that we find surrounding Abraham.

Now, let’s take some time and look at some things about Abraham and God’s conversations.

I. First of all there is a background story – Abraham had help understanding the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

Have you ever read a devotional book or a Bible study book that helped you better understand the Bible and the LORD in general?

+Perhaps it was one written by someone like Max Lucado, Rick Warren or Beth Moore.

+Perhaps it was one written by Henri Nouwen, Sarah Moore, Francine Rivers, or Richard Foster.

+Perhaps it was one written by one of the saints of old; like Martin Luther, John Calvin or John Wesley.

As you read their words while you did not put them on the same level as the Bible, things were revealed to you that helped you read the Bible, understand God better and be able to live a better life. Yes?

Well, the rabbis of old share with us some information about Abraham and his family that we don’t find in our Protestant Bible. It is not anything that disagrees with the Bible but this information was not added to our Bibles.