Sermon – Four part progression of faith
(Romans 4: 1-5; John 3-16 and Genesis 12: vs 1 – 4).
I wonder if you noticed that all three readings for today are about faith. As we make our Lenten journey towards the glorious resurrection of our Lord, it is so appropriate to check where we are in our own personal faith and relationship with Him. All the stories of the bible are beautiful but some are timeless like the calling of Abraham. Abraham is referred to as the “father of faith” and as we examine his life and faith this morning, I see a four part progression, the first of which is Abraham’s
1. Obedience
Last week we talked about how Adam & Eve’s disobedience brought sin as opposed to Jesus’ obedience that brought righteous to all of us. (Rom 5:19). Our faith is often tested by obedience but like Adam & Eve many good people fail the test. Abraham was tested too – not once but many times. He remained obedient to God and this is what made him unique and the Father of many Nations. Scripture tells us that his faith was accounted to him as righteousness. In other words he became right with God through faith.
But, faith requires obedience. Sometimes when we do not like what scripture says, we choose to disobey. For example, scripture says we are not to defile our body which is the temple of God. It also tells us not to lie, steal, gossip, commit adultery and so on but if this becomes a life style then we are deliberately disobeying God. Disobedience is an enemy to faith. Just as you and I do not like disobedient children so too, God is displeased with those who do not listen to him. The Israelites were God’s chosen people but it was their disobedience that often angered and distanced God.
Even our Lord learned to be obedient to the will of the Father. In Heb ch 5 it says: “Though he were a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all those that obey him.” Notice obedience is linked to salvation. The Son of God was perfected in learning obedience by giving Himself up unto the will of God. Likewise, the obedience of a life wholly given up to God's will propel us right in the presence and love of our heavenly Father.
It was hard for Abraham to be willing to sacrifice his son but he was obedient and never failed the test. It was hard for him to leave his father’s house and move to a strange land but instead of doubting or debating God, he was obedient. Abraham was not just a good guy; he was a man of unwavering faith who trusted God completely. God loved him because he was an obedient child. Friends, have you been obedient to the voice of God? Are you willing to risk or give up something to honor God? Listening to God is not a journey of reckless pursuit because whenever God asks us to do something, he always with us throughout that time. The second part of Abraham’s faith was about,
2. Relying on a promise and Exploring the unknown
Going back to our reading in Gen 4; God says to Abraham: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house and go to a land that I will show you” God’s call was demanding but it was followed by a promise and a blessing which said: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Think about this. At that time Abraham had no children and besides he and Sarah were too old to have any. It was humanly impossible to have kids and yet God declared that he would make a great nation of Abraham. Friends, it tells us that with God all things are possible BUT it only works for those who believe.
I wonder how many of you would be willing to pack your bags, quit your job, leave your family and start out on foot towards Mexico or another country never to return again. Sounds foolish but that is exactly what Abraham did. He relied on God’s promise. Notice, the promise and blessing had to be received in faith because it was in future tense – it said if you did such and such, then I will bless you. What if he doubted God? He would have lost the opportunity to eternal life and would never be known as the father of faith. Friends, are you a doubter or a believer? People who doubt God lose the opportunity to inherit an eternal Kingdom. We have to learn to trust God and rely on his promises just like Abraham.
May be you have gotten comfortable where you are and what you do but status quo may never get you to the Kingdom. Lots of people are satisfied with a weekly visit to Church whereas we have to be continually moving towards sanctification and holiness. The Christian life is a journey to an unseen but eternal destination which means we should never make ourselves too comfortable here because this is not our eternal home. I urge you to be courageous and like Abraham begin that journey into the unknown relying on God’s promise. The third part of progression in faith is that we have,
3.No need to see the destination but trust the one who said it.
You may not know everything upfront but that is the essence of faith. People of the world want to first see to believe but followers of Christ first believe and then see. How about you? Are you someone who believes and then sees or one who wants to see first in order to believe? Abraham was never told where he was going. He was only told to pack his bags and leave. The destination was to “A land that I will show you.” Abraham did not need to see the destination because he trusted God. We read about his response in verse 4 where it says, So Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him and Lot his brother went with him. Most of us are wary about venturing into the unknown simply because we want to know upfront where it will take us. But, this is not how it works in terms of our relationship with God. The disciple Thomas was one of those who wanted to first see before he believed. I am sure you remember Jesus saying to Thomas, blessed are those who believe without seeing. There is a irrevocable blessing in trusting God and being obedient to his will and I hope you don’t lose out on that. The fourth part of Abraham’s progression of faith is to,
4. Learn to follow the shepherd
Think about Abraham – Even though he was promised a land flowing with milk and honey he wandered about aimlessly and lived in a tent. There was every good reason to doubt God and throw in the towel but he was not upset because his heart was fixed on eternal things and not the temporary. The only real estate he owned was a burial plot. But the truth is God did not promise him lands and houses because he would have had to leave it behind at the cemetery. Some of us get attached to material things instead of being attached to the giver of those things.
When Jesus called his disciples, he never told them where he was going. All he said was “follow me.” Two thousand years later we are talking about these faithful men because they inherited an eternal kingdom. What am I saying – I am saying you do not need to see the destination but be obedient to the call and learn to follow the shepherd. There is a lovely old time hymn that goes like this “Where he leads me, I will follow, where he leads me, I will follow..” We sing it but do we believe it?
I am reminded about a story of a Pastor who travelled to Israel one time and was very interested in seeing how a Rabbi lived out his life. And so he got an opportunity to visit one of their homes. As he walked into the home, it was empty, except for a chair and table. Wow, said the American Pastor where is all your furniture? Where is yours asked the Rabbi? Oh, said the Pastor, don’t you know; I am just a visitor and only passing through – so am I said the Rabbi, I too am just passing through – my furniture is not here but in my eternal home!
Lots of people believe that there is a God but not all of them have the faith that gives them the courage to pack their bags and follow the shepherd into the unknown. I wonder if I am speaking to someone here this morning? You know the scriptures; you are a faithful member of the Church but you have a hard time giving up what you have been doing to follow the Savior. If we knew everything upfront then faith would have no meaning. Friends, it would be a folly not to follow him because only he knows where pastures are green and where the waters are still.
The Shepherd is always going about looking for lost sheep. His voice is unmistakable – it is a soft and gentle voice that invites us to be a part of his family. He desires that we spend eternity with him. He has even prepared for us mansions in heaven and perhaps written your name on the mail box! If you listen carefully you will hear that voice through reading your Bible, prayer and from moments like this. I wonder if you heard him speak to you through the gospel reading for this morning which said:
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whomsoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life”
God loves and cares for the “whomsoevers” of this world which includes you and me but we must be obedient to listen to his voice, rely on his promises and learn to follow him. I am sure you will agree with me that this life is a journey in which we are not in our homeland yet but are wanderers in this world. Just like a fish will never be comfortable on land neither a bird in the water, so too, God’s children will never be at peace and rest until we get to our heavenly home. The good news is that faith with get us there. Faith requires us to trust in the unseen and believe in the impossible. It also requires that we be obedient and follow the Shepherd. Lent is a great time to practice and believe this; let the journey begin and all God’s people say Amen!
