Introduction
How many of us are comfortable with the unknown? Most of us, if we're honest, are planners. We like a GPS for our car, an itinerary for our vacation, and a five-year plan for our career. We find our security in knowing what's coming next. We like maps.
Today we come to one of the giants of our faith, Abraham. And his story begins with God asking him to do the one thing we dread the most: to leave everything he knew and to start walking without a map. His story is the ultimate example of a life built not on a plan, but on a promise; not on knowing the "where," but on knowing the "Who."
1. The Call of Faith: "Go Out"
The verse begins, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out..."
Faith always begins with a call from God. For Abraham, this was a call to leave Ur of the Chaldees. This wasn't just a small town; it was a sophisticated, wealthy, pagan metropolis. It was his home, his family, his career, his culture, and his security. It was everything he had ever known.
God's call to Abraham was a call to leave his comfort zone, to abandon his man-made security, and to separate himself from a world of idolatry. This call echoes to us today. God's call is always a call from something—from our sin, from our self-reliance, from our worldly comforts—to something better: a life of dependence on Him.
II. The Obedience of Faith: "He Obeyed"
The verse doesn't say, "Abraham, when he was called, made a pros-and-cons list." It doesn't say he negotiated with God or asked for all the details. The Bible gives a simple, powerful summary: he obeyed.
True faith is not just a mental agreement with God; it is active obedience. It’s one thing to sit and say, "I believe God." It’s another thing entirely to "go out"—to pack your bags, sell your property, and put your feet on the road. Faith moves.
Abraham's obedience was immediate and complete. He heard the voice of God, and that voice was more real to him than the pull of his familiar surroundings. His faith was not a passive feeling; it was a decisive action.
III. The Uncertainty of Faith: "Not Knowing Whither He Went"
This is the most stunning phrase in the entire verse. He "went out, not knowing whither he went."
God did not give Abraham a map. He did not give him a destination address to plug into his GPS. He gave him only a promise. Abraham had to trade the visible, comfortable, and certain for the invisible, unknown, and promised. He had to learn to walk by faith, not by sight.
This is the very essence of the Christian life. So often, we want God to show us the whole plan—who we'll marry, what job we'll get, how our children will turn out. We want a guarantee on the outcome before we take the first step. But God doesn't work that way. He doesn't show us the destination; He promises to be our Guide. He asks us to trust Him, not the plan. Abraham's security was no longer in his location, but in his Lord.
Conclusion
Where is God calling you to "go out" today? Is He calling you out of a sinful habit? Out of a relationship that is pulling you away from Him? Out of a mindset of fear and into a mindset of trust? Out of a life of self-reliance and into a life of total dependence?
The call of faith is often a call into the unknown. We may not know where we are going. But like Abraham, we know Who is calling us. We know that He is faithful, and we know that He has promised us an inheritance.
Our job is not to know the map; our job is to know the Guide. Take the first step. Obey the call. He has promised He will never leave you nor forsake you.
