Journey Into The Unknown

INTRODUCTION

We have all heard the term “The Christian Walk” used in conversation at different times. It refers to an individual’s personal, spiritual journey. Many times we have false expectations of what the “Christian Walk” should be like. Many times we believe that it should be free from troubles and difficulties. Some think that it is dull, boring and mundane. That can’t be further from the truth. The Christian Walk is really a Journey Into the Unknown. Today we will take a look at our Christian Walk, our Journey, in the light of Abram’s walk with God.

Gen 12:1-9 (NIV)

12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.

9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

I. The Journey Begins with God

This text and Abram’s journey begin with the phrase, “The Lord said…”. Abram’s journey, your spiritual journey or Christian walk, and my Christian walk all begin with God just as all things from the beginning of creation began with God. Genesis 1:1 starts off with “In the beginning God …”. Everything has God as its origin because in the beginning nothing existed except for God.

a. “The Lord said”

It is significant that Abram’s spiritual journey begins with the phrase “The Lord said” because it is God revealing part of his plan of redeeming his people that turned away from Him in the Garden of Eden. It is God’s plan and mission being revealed to Abram. It is not Abram deciding to do something for God or on God’s behalf. This is not Abram’s plan or idea it is God’s. You can usually tell the difference between God’s plan and our plan. Our plan seems very achievable in our own eyes. It looks like something we can accomplish and usually without God’s supernatural help. God’s plans require us to believe in God’s sovereignty, his authority over all things. God’s plans require us to trust Him to accomplish those things that we cannot accomplish in and of ourselves.

b. “I will …”

Another key phrase that God uses is “I will”. These two little words, “I will”, convey to us the idea that God has an active role in His plan and our lives. God was active in the beginning in the act of creation and He is still active in our lives today.

Our Christian walk begins with God as He calls each of us to a personal relationship with Him through the sacrifice, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God pursues us even when we do not pursue Him. He pursued us from the beginning of time It is through Christ that we receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life. It is through Christ that our personal relationship with our Lord, Master, Savior and Creator is restored. It is through Christ that our Christian walk, our life of faith begins.

II. The Journey Requires Steadfast Faith

vs. 1: The Lord gives specific directions. He only gives us what we need to know to accomplish His will. (Faith is required)

a. Abram was told to leave his family and country. This was a very family oriented society. It was uncommon to leave everything and everyone behind. Abram was required to have faith in God rather than himself. He was required to make his relationship with God his number one priority, more important even than his relationship with his wife.

b. Notice that God did not tell Abram where he was supposed to go. Hebrews 11:8-10 says: