Our Journey Through Life

Our Journey Through Life

Genesis 12: 1-9

I heard a story recently that a sailor started talking with a pirate, and they take turns telling about their adventures on the seas. The sailor notes that the pirate has a peg-leg, a hook-hand, and an eye patch. The sailor asks "So, how did you end up with the peg-leg?"

The pirate replies "We were in a storm at sea, and I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as my men were pulling me out, a shark bit my leg off."

"Wow!" said the sailor. "What about your hook"?

"Well...", replied the pirate, "We were boarding an enemy ship and were battling the other men with swords. One of the enemy cut my hand off."

"Incredible!" remarked the sailor. "How did you get the eye patch"?

"A big bug flew into my eye.", replied the pirate.

"You lost your eye to a bug!?" the sailor asked incredulously.

"Well, yes...", said the pirate, "...it was my first day with the hook..."

. Things happen in life don’t they?

. We can be going along just fine and things happen.

. That’s what happens with the call of God also.

. We are going along in life and God calls.

. First He calls us to salvation and belief in him. That’s the first call.

. We looked at that call last week in Paul’s opening remarks to the Corinthian believers.

. That is not the only call we have though.

. After our salvation we are called also to work for God. The great passage in Ephesians that talks about our salvation being by God’s grace alone also tells us this.

.Ephesians 2:10: 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

. We are saved for a purpose, we are called out, set apart to do the things that God has planned.

. Most of the time, this happens as part of our life. Not many are called into vocational ministry but we if we are Christians, we are called to do more than just warm a pew on Sunday morning.

. This morning sermon is about the other calls in our life after salvation.

. We are back in Genesis this morning. Chapter 12, we are starting to look at the life of Abram. We will start with the call of Abram.

.How many of you know who Abram is? You may know him better under another name, Abraham.

. Abram has been saved. We see this recorded for us in Joshua chapter 24.

. God is reminding the nation of Israel of their past and He is renewing his covenant with them. He tells them this in verse 2.

. 2Joshua said to the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods.

3But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan …

. God called Abram’s father and his entire family into a relationship with him. They were saved. That was God’s first call to them. He called Abram’s father Terah to pick up his family and move away from the worship of other Gods.

. Terah answered Gods’ call and moved his family to Haran. While there, he died and his son Abram became the leader of the family.

. That’s where our scripture picks up this morning.

. Genesis 12: 1-9

1The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

2I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

3I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

4So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

5He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,

6Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him.