Title: Uncharted: Abraham’s Call
Theme: Showing how Abraham began the journey with God.
Text: Genesis 12:1 – 9
Introduction
Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.
The story of Abram begins in chapter 11. You may remember back in August as I shared the temptation of being settled. This is where Abram found himself. A place called Haran. God had spoken to the family and said leave. Whether or not this included Abram’s father Terah we are not sure.
"And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia [Ur of the Chaldees], before he dwelt in Charran (Haran), and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee" (Acts 7:2-3).
Yet God “called” Abram.
The Lord is calling Abraham again. This is the second time. Did Abraham backslide? No, I believe that Abraham settled. God had called Abraham out of the Ur of Chaldees in chapter 11. Abraham took his family including his father. They traveled to Haran and stayed there five years. Why? They got settled. Maybe Abraham got caught up with the happenings around. What ever the matter, too many Christians get settled in their life and journey.
When God called Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:4-5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: (5) "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
God sanctified Jeremiah – set him apart
God’s call is to separate from that which has rule over our lives.
God ordained Jeremiah – gave him a purpose, I like the way my wife put it “we are called from being on purpose in purpose”. Example on purpose we come to church but in purpose we have heart and mind of being a part of the service. We put our whole heart into it.
Where was Abraham going?
“To a land that I will show you”. God never gave him a map He just told him to walk. He never even gave him a destination He just told him to walk. Follow God’s way. Follow God’s purpose. Follow God’s call.
Step into Uncharted waters. “to the land I will show you” You are not going to know it until you get there.
As I was preparing this series, I noticed there is a difference between Uncharted and Unchartered. Uncharted means to go places that we have never been before. It is not mapped out. Unchartered mean to do the same thing but this time without regulation or lawlessness.
Uncharted with the word of God: 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
God wants us to take this journey with Him into uncharted territory. We do have our guide that is the Holy Spirit and the Bible.
Promises
(2) I will make you a great nation; - multiply Abraham’s seed
Abraham was childless at this moment. He is 75 years of age. His wife is around 65 years of age. So this is a incredible feat as it was. God tells him I will multiply you.
Continued on in chapter 13, 15, 17, 18, 22, 25, 28, 35, and 46, again in the NT in Acts, Romans and Hebrews
This was not only a physical blessing but also a spiritual blessing. Out of Abraham would come a great nation that would follow after God. Those who were expected to abandon their idols and the idols of the land and follow Him.
The key to this who passage is the word I. I, is speaking of God.
I will bless you
Malachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
2 Corinthians 9:8-11 Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work. As it is written, “He scatters everywhere and gives to the poor; his righteousness lasts forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness. In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us,
(3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Prayer of Jabez
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." (10) And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.
A Bucket or a Hose
See the idea is if you’re a bucket then what you’re doing is saying, “God, fill my bucket. I want my bucket filled up. Lord, I can fit a little bit more in here. I want more in my bucket. Lord, I can make my bucket bigger. Just give me more and more and more.” So that’s what we do sometimes. We think we’re a bucket. But God says you’re not a bucket; you’re a hose. You’re the vehicle through which I pass the blessing. So you get a little of it, you get to enjoy it, but it goes out to a world that is waiting for it in need. There are people all around us that are waiting for the blessing and God allows us to pass it on. It is such a privilege to be the vehicle through whom which God passes His grace. Sometimes it’s an encouraging word you give to someone. God has just passed His grace through you. You’ve been a hose to someone else and shared that message with them. It’s a privilege to be used by God, to be a blessing, and to pass the message on to someone else. – From Message by Scott Turansky titled Are You a Bucket or a Hose?
Abraham’s Response
(4) So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (settled) (5) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
Not everyone who goes with you will stay with you. Lot started this journey with Abram yet eventually (chapter 13) they parted ways. They had their eyes on different things. Although we read that Lot was a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7) but his ministry to those at Sodom & Gomorrah did not play out.
Illustration: I spent a few years in the national guard when I was 17 years of age. This all started when some friends of mine got together and we decided we were going to join. I signed up and went through basic and spent a few years in. You know what, the other friends never signed up. I am not mad at them but I know not everyone who you started with will go with you.
Conclusion
(6) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. [19] And the Canaanites were then in the land. (7) Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. (he built a sacrifice, a significance of a life that has surrendered to the Lord.) (8) And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he 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) So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.
This begins Abraham’s great adventure.
Journey – moved forth
What other Bible characters did with their journey?
Build Bigger Barns – Luke 12
Luke 12:13-21 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." (14) But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" (15) And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (16) Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. (17) And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' (18) So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. (19) And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' (20) But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' (21) So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Demas pursued money – 2 Timothy 2:10
Gehazi pursued the material gifts from Naaman – 2 Kings 5:20
The Prodigal Son Run off and Live a off fun and spending money – Luke 15
Balaam chose money over – Numbers 22
Follow in God’s ways as Abram did.
