God’s All Stars
“The Wanderer”
Abraham
Hebrews 11:8-12
Appetizer
8 “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land that God promised him , he lived there by faith - for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. 10 Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.”
Hebrews 11:8-12
Without Faith it is Impossible to Please God
Main Course
Faith = Believing what God says is the TRUTH!
To have F.A.I.T.H. you must…
F = Find FREEDOM in God
“...leave home...” Hebrews 11:8
34 “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is a part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.”
John 8:34-36
“God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins” Colossians 1:14
A. Example - 1. Moving out to go to College
2. Me moving to Ashdown ( God told me to go & I did)
B. Imagine how miserable I would be if I had said
“NO!” to God and stayed in Damascus...We were happy there! ...BUT...
1. I wanted to do great things for my God
2. I wanted to be happy
3. I wanted to have FAITH that He would take care of me wherever I was.
C. You will never hear me say, “I’m sorry I moved to Ashdown, AR!”
1. I don’t care what may come
2. YOU may be sorry I came, but I will never be! Why?
3. This is where God wants me to be right now in my life... and I have faith that He will take care of me and my family.
YES
YES!
D. Have you ever heard anybody say...
1. “I’m sorry I ever started drinking...”
2. “I’m sorry I ever started doing drugs...”
3. “I’m sorry I had sex before marriage...”
NO!
NO
E. Have you ever heard anybody ever say...
1. “I’m sorry I ever became a Christian...”
2. “I’m sorry I ever gave my life to Jesus Christ...”
WHY?
F. Because with God we have unmeasurable FREEDOM!
1. Some people think that being a Christian is a DRAG because you don’t get to do all that fun stuff like drink, smoke, do drugs, and have sex...BUT...
2. That is far from the TRUTH!
3. The TRUTH is that they are slave of their sinful nature (It controls them) and WE have so much freedom!
HOW?
4. We have been set free from the power of SIN!!!!
“Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin!”
Romans 6:6
5. While others are trapped in their sin and cannot get out, we have freedom in Christ to live life to the fullest!
A = Accept the ACTIONS of God
“...he obeyed...” Hebrews 11:8
“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.”
John 6:38
A. Deuteronomy 5:10 - “I (God) lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands.”
B. We might not like the word “obey” but to God it is a big deal!
1. Matthew 5:19 - “So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obey’s God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
2. God sometimes might want us to do “wild and crazy” things, but He expects us to OBEY Him.
3. Like Abraham moving away from His family. He would have been miserable if he had stayed at home.
4. Like me moving away from my family...I would have been miserable if I had stayed.
C. Jesus Himself even obeyed God
1. Philippians 2:8 - “...and in human form He (Jesus) obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on the cross.”
2. His father needed him to die for the sins of the world so we could have the opportunity to go to heaven for eternity...WHY?
3. Because God is holy, and He cannot even be around sin.
4. Don’t you think Jesus could have said, “But Dad! I don’t want to!”
D. Yes, but He accepted the actions of God.
1. When you grow up, wanted to be a doctor and make lots of money and have all the things the world has to offer...and...
2. God wants you to become a missionary to Africa where you can help and minister to 1000’s of people with your gift...
3. Which do you think will bring the most happiness in your life?
Accept the Actions of God
I = Inwardly INVESTIGATE God
“he reached the land...lived there” Hebrews 11:9
6 “Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him while He is near…7 Yes, turn to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7
A. When Abraham got to where God told him to Go, He stayed there and got to know God.
1. Romans 4:13 - God’s promise to give Abraham the whole earth was based on his relationship with God.
2. Not because he was rich, popular, powerful.
3. Because he knew God personally.
B. Don’t take my word, or your pastor’s word that what we say is true.
1. Look in the Bible and see for yourself.
2. We could be filling your mind with garbage.
3. Check God out for yourself!
4. Do it now!!! Why?
C. Isaiah 55:6 - “Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him while he is near.”
1. One of these days, God will not be able to be found.
2. Your days of finding God are numbered.
3. One day, it will be too late to be saved, do it now.
D. Do you know who your God is?
1. It is your job to have a relationship with Him.
2. I cannot do that for you.
Investigate God for yourself!
T = Totally TRUST in God
“...confidently looking forward...” Hebrews 11:18
“All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God.” Hebrews 11:13
A. Abraham never got to see the “great nation” that God promised to his family.
1. But he knew it would happen...WHY?
2. Bumper stickers - “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!”
3. It should say, “God said it. That settles it!”
4. God said it and that settled it with Him.
B. Abraham totally trusted God to do what He said He was going to do, whether he saw it or not.
1. Faith is in Hebrews 11:1 - “...It is the evidence of theings we cannot yet see.”
2. Like the WIND (you cannot see it, but you know it is there)
3. Hebrews 11:!3 - “they saw it all from a distance..”
C. When God says He will take care of you, you can totally TRUST Him to do what He says.
H = Honor the HOLINESS of God
7 “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I am going to give this land to your offspring.” And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the LORD’s visit. 8 After that, Abram traveled southward and set up camp in the hill country between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar and worshipped the LORD.” Genesis 12:7-8
A. Many things you don’t know about, God has done for you.
1. Helping you to remember the answers to that hard test.
2. Helping you and your family make it home safely.
3. If you are living and breathing today...
4. God deserves your praise.
B. We need to thank God for all that He has done.
1. Whether we know it or not...
2. We need to worship Him.
Without FAITH, It is impossible to please God
Why?
II Corinthians 13:5 - “Examine yourselves to see if your FAITH is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test.”
Dessert
1. You must have Christ in your life in order to please God.
2. If you have never come to a point in your life where you have said, “Jesus...I know I cannot do this on my own...I put my FAITH in you...” You need to settle that issue right now.
3. If you are a Christian and you are relying on these other things in life to bring you happiness...you need to settle that issue right now.
4. Have FAITH in God!
