Theme: The Commitment to a Life of Faith
Text: Genesis 12: 4-9
Introduction
A. Last week we have learned that out of Abram’s miserable spiritual condition God called him to live his life in faith. This gives us the truth that indeed, no one is beyond the touch of God. He is able to come where we are to touch and change us for His glory.
Praise God, in His own sovereign will, He chose you, He chose me to experience the touch of His saving and transforming power. He took our life that was so insignificant, so barren and hopeless and turned it into one of the greatest examples of the power of faith and grace! Our spiritual freedom –or the fact that we are living in liberty is the greatest proof of the power of His grace. Indeed, God is able to change the life of anyone into something that displays the glorious power of His grace. And I’m glad that one of the many lives that God took and transformed is mine.
B. Today, we will continue to study the life of Abraham and his journey of faith. In depth probe shows us that Abram’s life is one of a pilgrimage. He is the first person in the Bible to leave everything behind to walk with the Lord by faith. His pilgrimage was not easy, though there were blessings along the way for him to the land God had promised him.
Significantly, the Bible tells us that Christian life is also a pilgrimage (1 Pet. 2:11). Every one of us who is saved by the blood of Jesus is a pilgrim for the Lord through out our life. We are on a journey that began the day we received Jesus into our hearts and that will continue until the day we arrive in Heaven. This pilgrimage is, at times, a wonderful thing. At other times, it is difficult. Yet all the time, it is a pilgrimage that is to be lived out through faith in the Lord.
In his own pilgrimage, Abraham sets us the example on how to live our lives in absolute faith and in total commitment to the Lord God Almighty. His life is teaching us a very important lesson for our spiritual journey in life, which is, “The Commitment To A Life of Faith.” There are three sides about his commitment to a life of faith:
I. HIS OBEDIENCE (v.4-5).
1. The first lesson that Abram learned about living one’s life in absolute faith and total obedience to God is the departing of anything that would block him from obeying the will of God. We see that God called Abram to live his life in absolute faith and in total obedience to Him. Part of God’s call to Abram was to leave everything that would hinder his walk of faith.
This is the same call God has for everyone of His children. Everything that weighs us down or entangles us from progressing spiritually must be laid aside or be left behind. Hebrews 12: 1 says, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us….”
It could be a relationship, a lifestyle, a character, a vice, a career, an earthly goal, or anything that hinders you to progress in your relationship with the Lord. God wants you to leave behind everything that block you from moving on in the things of God.
At first Abram was not wholehearted in his response to God. There were years that he was in the state of compromise. He did not totally obeyed God’s divine order. And as consequence, Abram missed many wonderful opportunities God had to offer him within those years. This incident should lead us to understand that no one can ever find God’s blessing in the place of disobedience. It is only in the place of total obedience that we can find the true blessings of God. It is the desire of God to bring each of His children in the place of total obedience.
2. In verse 5 we can see that Abram left Haran to follow the Lord, and he took “all his substance” with him. He did not leave anything for the world to use, but took it all and went after God. He learned that total commitment involves “all his substance.” He understands that everything he had acquired were given by God and should be used for God’s glory and honor.
Well, we can gauge the level of a person’s commitment to the Lord by how much of his possession has been dedicated to God. Yes God is pleased when we give our tithes for His work, but how we use the 90% left to our hands is just as important to Him. God gives us what He does so that we might use it for His glory and honor. And you know, it’s not only about money. It’s about everything we have. And remember this, God might want to use what you have now for His glorious work. Thus He expects your dedication.
3. Now going back to verse 4, the key phrase of this verse is “…as the Lord has spoken him.” Abraham discovered that total surrender is the secret to pleasing God –he did what the Lord had told him to do. Total surrender is simply doing and following what God says. Genuine faith is doing what it is told and trusts God to take care of the rest. No wonder Abraham was called the Father of Faith.
By the way, in the context of total surrender God does not need our possession because He owns everything. What He really wants from us is our whole life. He wants us to willfully put our whole life in His altar. Would you now lay your life on His altar for total surrender and obedience?
II. HIS OBSTACLES.
1. Abraham was not going to find everything “smooth sailing.” There would be difficulties in his pilgrimage. There would be many obstacles to face along the way. And this is going to remind us that our journey is not going to be smooth sailing as well. There’ll be many impediments to tackle along our way. There’ll be many challenges as we follow the Lord.
2. First of Abraham’s obstacles being emphasized in the passage was his age. He was 75 years old when he left Haran on his pilgrimage. That’s about the age when many people begin to seriously think of slowing down. If you reach that age I can guarantee you that your children will tell you to slow down and rest. Then they want you to just stay in the home and do nothing.
Yes, there will come a day when we can no longer use our traveling shoes and forced to have a rocking chair instead. There may come a day when we can’t teach or preach the word of God anymore. There will come a day that we won’t be able to attend church anymore. But, until we are gone home to glory, there will never be a day that we will have the liberty to sit down on the Lord’s work and quit. The admonition of Paul in Titus 2: 2-3 and 1 Timothy 4: 12, implies a principle that says, “Don’t let your age, whether you are young or old, to stop you from serving the Lord.”
3. Next about Abram’s obstacles was his immense responsibility toward his household. Along with his wife Sarai he brought Lot, his great possessions, and his many servants. And being the leader of his household, he was responsible to look after the welfare of his members. You see, it’s never really easy to be on the top leadership. It requires an intelligent mind, a big heart, and great faith.
It really takes great faith to place the unseen ahead of what our eyes can see. You see, it’s very easy to be overwhelmed with our responsibilities and forget to trust the provisions of God. But God wants us to come to the place where all our tomorrows, all our worries, all our burdens, and fears are left at His feet; the place where we trust God and leave the details of our future to Him. Abraham did that. He held all the things of the future into the hands of faith.
4. Next of Abram’s obstacles was about the Canaanites. Verse 6 says, “The Canaanites were then in the land.” The Canaanites were godless people. Surely, these people would not be sympathetic to Abraham’s lifestyle or to his God. Certainly, Abraham had to face hostility and opposition. I expect this man to stop his journey and quit, but he didn’t. Abram continued to move in the direction that God had given him.
The truth here is clear: despite the oppositions of our faith, let’s continue to move on in the things of God. Speaking of opposition, our Lord told us that believers have tribulations in this world. So, as far as the teaching of Jesus is concerned, believers could not expect any better treatment from the world. If we are treated well in the community because of our socio-economic repute, fine. But if we are opposed because of our faith and service in the Lord, that’s a divine privilege. So child of God, continue to move on in the things of God despite the opposition of the devil, of the flesh, and of the world.
III. HIS OPPORTUNITIES (v.7-9).
1. While Abram was called on to walk by faith to an unseen place, God had given him wonderful opportunities. One of the marvelous truths in the Scriptures is: God gives divine privileges and opportunities to those who are committed to live their lives in faith. That is, as we walk with God by faith and look forward to the things He prepared for us in the future yet unseen, He is giving us opportunities here to experience that many other people did not know about.
2. First is the opportunity to experience His promises. God fulfilled every promise that He gave to Abraham, especially the promise of possessing the Promised Land. Part of the promise was for him to experience God’s abundant blessings, because the Promise Land is a land flowing with milk and honey.
Yes, we have such a wonderful God Who does what He says He would do. We have a perfectly faithful God. As a hymn says, “Jesus never fails.” As I said last Sunday, we have both the privilege of experiencing God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises and the joy of having expectant anticipation for the complete fulfillment of all the promises of God to us.
3. Second is the opportunity to enjoy God’s presence. Abram believed the promise that God will be with him. So wherever he went he felt and enjoyed the presence of God. That’s why we see Abram built an altar for God wherever he went and stayed. He expressed his joy for God’s presence through worship. As Abraham continued his journey, the Sovereign God was his wonderful companion. That’s why worship marked his life.
Worship testifies the person’s intimate communion with God. When Abraham built an altar for worship he testified of his love for God, of his intimate relationship with God, and his joy being with God. How about you? Are you enjoying in God’s presence? How is your worship life today?
C. Our father Abraham sets an example of a man who was totally committed to a life of faith. Can you say the same thing about your spiritual journey? Or do you need today to come and bring your life wholly into the altar of God –the altar of total surrender?
