Going the Distance
Genesis 12: 1-4
10/9/04
0n three different occasions and at three different times God called Abraham.
1. From his hometown in Ur - Gen 11:31 - Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot the son of Haran and his daughter in-law Sarah, his son’s wife, and they went out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to Haran and dwelt there.
* It was a 1000 mile journey from Ur to the land of Canaan.
* God called him to Canaan and not Haren.
The family group in this story represents people today:
A. Terah - A form of Godliness - Known for his idol worship.
Book of Joshua Chapter 24 -Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.
B. Lot - Always had good attentions about God - But was only an attendee. Genesis Chapter 13 13:11 - So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.
C. Abraham - Determined for God - No matter what it takes.
What group are you in today??????? .
2. During the journey before they got to Haran - Acts 7:2-3 - And he said, “Brethren and Fathers listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, Before he dwelt in Haran. And said to him “ Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you”
* Abram stayed in Haran for five years!
* His father dies in Haran.
* Partial obedience will only go so far.
3. When he arrived at the land of promise. - Genesis 12:7 - Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “ To your decedents I will give this land and there he built an alter to the Lord who appeared to him.
* This was the first alter that Abraham built - Do you remember your first alter?
* You will never finish the complete journey if you don’t build an alter.
A. Choices always await us
* Gen 12 : 8 - And he removed from there unto a mountain on the east side of Bethel and pitch his tent having Bethel on the west and Hai on the east, and there he built an alter unto the lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
* Look at the location of where he pitched his tent?
The choices were Bethel that represents the house of God or Hai - Which represented the ruins or the world.
Abraham had a choice of what he was going to look at every time he open his tent door - His choice was Bethel - The house of God
Bethel was on the west side were the sun sets! - I want the presence of God to fall and set on my life and family’s lives. Through my choices I can do that.
* What happens when you do the right things spiritually and no miracle?
When he arrived to the promise land after a 1000 mile several year journey what was there to greet him?
- It was not a brass band
- it was not a great party prepared in his honor
- It was the Canaanites - The enemy
- A severe famine - No earthy resources
* He built an alter and called on the name of the Lord.!!!!!!!
- Do you have an alter? How long has it been since you been there
