Challenges To The Journey Of Faith-4

CHALLENGES To The JOURNEY Of FAITH-IV—Genesis 11:26—12:9

VENTURING By FAITH

Attention:

A young man who was also an avid golfer found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured if he hurried & played very fast, he could get in 9 holes before he had to head home. Just as he was about to tee off an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee & asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed the old gent to join him.

To his surprise the old man played fairly quickly. He didn't hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently & didn't waste much time. Finally, they reached the 9th fairway & the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball & it was directly between his ball & the green. After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot the old man finally said, "You know, when I was your age I'd hit the ball right over that tree."

With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk & it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally lay. The old man offered one more comment, "Of course, when I was your age that pine tree was only 3 feet tall."

Driving over the ‘three-foot tree’ was a Challenge to the man’s golf game.

Need:

Genesis records Abram’s encounter with YaHoWeH & his resultant/subsequent actions of faith.

Encountering God calls us to a venture/journey by faith.

What limits/hinders the venture of faith?

What is challenged in a journey of faith?

12 challenges to the venture/journey of faith.

A challenge to our journey of faith lies in...

1. Our HOME(11:26-32)

2. Our RELATIONSHIPS (11:26-32)

3. Our COMMUNITY(11:27-28, 31)

4. Our DIRECTIVE(12:1)

5. Our INTEGRITY(12:2)

6. Our FUTURE(12:3)

7. Our WILLINGESS(12:4-5)

8. Our SOCIETY/CULTURE(12:6)

9. Our FEAR(s)(12:6)

10—A challenge to our journey of faith lies in...

Our PERCEPTIONS(of God)(12:7)

Explanation: (12:7)Have we seen & heard from God?

12:7—“Then the LORD appeared to Abram & said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”

Now God not only speaks to Abram but reveals Himself to him visibly(“appeared”). YaHWeH also tells Abram something further regarding his purpose.for being in Canaan.

Abram is told by God that he will have future “descendants.” These “descendants” are destined to inherit the very “land” wherein Abram stands as witness of YaHWeH.

The Holy Spirit of God intentionally indwells the believer. There is nothing anyone can do to cause Him to physically leave a person who is saved.

However...the believer can do something which has the same practical result—as if the Spirit was absent...The believer can “quench”(extinguish, suppress, stifle.put out the fire) the Holy Spirit(1Thess. 5:19; Eph. 4:30). That is, I can so involve myself in sin, giving sin so much sway & influence in my life, that sin’s voice overshadows/overwhelms the voice of God’s Spirit!

1Thess.5:19—“Do not quench the Spirit.”

Eph. 4:30—“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

?Have you rightly perceived God & His promise(s) to you?

?What is your perception of God & His promise(s) to you?

?Does it conflict with the clear statements of Scripture otherwise?

“Appeared”2X—har raw-aw'—Niphal Imperfect—1) To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider—1b) (Niphal), 1b1) To appear, present oneself, 1b2) To be seen, 1b3) To be visible. Strong—a primitive root; To see, literally or figuratively(in numerous applications, direct & implied, transitive, intransitive & causative).

“Descendants/Seed/Offspring”—erz zeh'-rah—1) Seed, sowing, offspring. Strong—Seed; figuratively--Fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity.

“Give”—Ntn naw-than'—Qal Imperfect—1) To give, put, set—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend, 1a2) To put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate, 1a3) To make, constitute. Strong—a primitive root; To give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.).

Argumentation:

2Cor. 11:3-4—“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!”

Gal. 1:6-12—“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you & want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”