The Abraham Factor Series

That was how Moses responded to God.

BUT NOT Abraham.

Abraham didn’t argue.

He didn’t offer excuses.

And he didn’t do those things, because inside of him - in Abraham’s heart - there was a hunger only God could satisfy.

And so… when God offered, Abraham jumped at the chance.

Now, God had had close relationships with other people before Abraham came along.

* There was Adam amd Eve. God gave them a wonderful place. He cared for them, and listened to them, and walked with them in the Garden.

* Then there was Enoch. He walked closely with God for 300 years…

* And, of course, there was Noah whom God entrusted with building the Ark.

But if you took all the verses in Genesis that were dedicated to those folks – to Adam & Eve and Enoch and Noah - and put them all together… you wouldn’t have ½ the amount of attention spent on them as was on Abraham.

Why would that be?

I believe God spent so much time telling us about Abraham because He wanted to showcase something with THIS man. With Abraham, God was beginning to do something new. He was making a covenant (a contract) with this man. A covenant that was to be the foundation of everything else God intended to do… including His ultimate sending of Jesus to pay the price for our sins.

God was beginning a religion – right here in Gen. 12 – with Abraham as the cornerstone

Now, many of the world’s religions have often begun by great teachers: Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius etc.

But those are religions that were based on the teachings of mere mortals.

When God began His religion He didn’t center it on some great body of doctrine or on a great teacher. Abraham was never noted for being a prophet or a preacher or teacher. Abraham’s only claim to fame was that he walked with God.

And you see that’s what God wanted us to understand.

His “religion” (that He was starting with Abraham) was a religion based upon a “relationship”. And if we look real close at this relationship that God established with Abram we can better understand what God wants to do with us.

SO, what does God want us to see in this story of Abraham?

1st – He wants us to see what kind of relationship He wants with us. He wants to bless us.

You and I are valuable to Him.

We have value - not because we’re accomplished, the rich or successful - but because we are made in His image.

ILLUS: In my house there is a refrigerator. But you can’t hardly the door on that refrigerator because it’s covered with pictures of my kids. I tried to solve that problem by painting the walls of our kitchen with metallic paint so that we could put those pictures there… but it didn’t work. The door is still covered with pictures of my children. There’s no picture up there of me – just my kids.

Those pictures are there because those children are valuable to Diana and I. Those kids are made in our image and we love them.

Now, imagine – if you will – a humungous refrigerator sitting up there in heaven. And if you’re a Christian – your picture is on that refrigerator someplace. Your picture is there BECAUSE you are valuable to God.