"Walk It Out”

I. Unlikely Choice

A. Here in Genesis 12 marks what many critical scholars call the “beginning of the redemptive drama of the restoration of humanity to our original purpose and divine intention” or as I like to call it a “turning point for man”.

(Optional) 1. When you read the opening chapters of the book of Genesis you discover that we were created to be in a perfect and harmonious relationship with God. Everything God created was “good” and was designed for us a perfect paradise where mankind would flourish and have an intimate relationship with God. But all of that is diminished; and changes when Adam does not take his divine-given covenant authority to kick a snake out of his marriage.

a. Let me just do a sermon side step right there for a moment and tell you that is why you better be careful about the snakes you allow to come into your life. You can’t just let any ol’ thing come into your life, just because it sounds/looks/acts good does not mean it is. The enemy knows how to appear as an “Angel of Light”, he doesn’t show up looking like a bugs bunny cartoon character with red skin, black horns, hoved feet, a pitch fork, a long pointy tail and a handle bar mustache that he twist all methodically with a menacing laugh. He is far from being the laughable character that is played out in cartoons and comics.

b. If the devil showed up like that we would know that it was him, but he does not show up that way he comes in many forms and sometimes comes looking like church folk. The enemy knows how to make you itch and will give you the means to scratch it.

2. Men let me talk to you for a moment and say that it is your job to keep the house free from snakes don’t you just sit around and let the enemy creep in and take your family. You were placed as the “head and priest” of your home, and need to be leading as so. You want to see revival break out then get the snakes out, get them out of your life and man up and get them out of your home. Don’t be like Adam and stand by silent while the devil has his way.

a. Don’t hide behind your wife but stand up and rebuke the devil, “resist the devil and he will flee”, stand firm on the Word and start laying hands your wife and children and pray the prayer of faith. If you want to see a real revival break out, let the men of this church start praying like they ought to. Let them get full of HG..... Let them worship.... let them start getting out of their seat & start running, dancing, & leaping...!!!

b. We need to be like Paul in Acts 28:3. After being shipped wrecked Paul gathers some wood to throw on the fire after he throws the wood on the fire the heat brings out a serpent, if you turn up the heat in your relationship with God it will drive that ol’ serpent the devil out of the home and church. Look at your neighbor and say “turn up the heat and get the snakes out”!

B. Now to get back on track in chapter twelve … As the book opens God chooses a man and it is kind of strange as to why He chooses Him. He chooses a man named Abram who was from Ur of the Chaldeans and He speaks to him promising to bless him and through him to bless the entire race of humanity. It is through this one man that God plans to set in motion our restoration that was forfeited because of Adam and Eve’s sin.

1. It is interesting to me that God would choose someone like Abram to play such an important role in the redemptive plan. The same one that made it into the “Hall of Faith”, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:” (Heb 11:8-9 AV)

2. I mean, I’ve often wondered why God would choose the son of a famous idolater, his wife can’t even have children; you would think that there would be a little more to him to back his legitimacy as the ‘father of the faith.’ God chooses someone who seems to have a lot of baggage coming with them. It does not make since, why not use some one that is established and has a reputation as a man of God. Conventional wisdom tells us to look for the one with the most qualifications. We would not place a drug addict, prostitute, and … (ex.) into the white house to lead this country so why would God use someone that does not fit the resume.