ABRAHAM
(Genesis
12-25)
1.
As we continue looking at some of the key characters in
the Bible, we are going to focus on the life of Abraham. If you were to ask me to make a list of the
most important people in the Bible, Abraham would be toward the very top of the
list. To this day the three main religions
of our world – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--trace their roots back to
Abraham. In the middle east where people
are bitterly divided over religious convictions, will find that Abraham is the
one person highly revered by all the religious group
2.
Even if you knew nothing about biblical history, even a
cursory reading of the Bible would indicate that Abraham is a very important
character. His name appears on the pages
of Scripture approximately 230 times.
And it may surprise you to know that he is mentioned in all four
gospels, Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Hebrews, James, and 2 Peter.
3.
In the New Testament he is portrayed as:
· The father
of the way of faith. Paul said of him in
Galatians 3:6-7 – “‘Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as
righteousness.’ Therefore, be sure that
it is those who are of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”
· A model of
obedience. Hebrews 11:8 says of him, “By
faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed…”
4.
In the Old Testament, Abraham’s story is told between
Genesis 11:26 where his birth is mentioned and Genesis 25:8 where his death is
mentioned. Obviously we cannot cover
those 14 chapters in one session. What I
want to do in this session is look at some of the key events in Abraham’s life
and since the New Testament points to Abraham as a model of obedience, draw
from those events some lessons about obedience to God.
Genesis
12:1-4 – The call to go to the land God promised (see map)
Genesis
12:10-20; 20:1-7 – Sordid events in Abraham’s life, pretending that his
wife, Sarah, was his sister. In chapter
12 they were in Egypt and Pharaoh actually made Sarah his wife. In chapter 20 they were in Gerar, and King Abimelech
discovered the treachery before taking Sarah as his wife.
Genesis
22:1-17 – Story of Abraham and Isaac and the sacrifice on Mt.
Moriah
Genesis 25:8 – Abraham’s
death
Abraham is known as the father of faith.
And one thing we can learn from him is that faith always involves
obedience. I want to point out a few things
we can learn about obedience from the example of Abraham.
I. OBEDIENCE TO GOD IS NOT ALWAYS EASY
1. When God first called Abraham in Genesis 12
He promised if faithful Abraham would be faithful that God would make great
nation of his descendants...as time went by and Abraham and wife had no
children, began doubt promise...in Genesis 15 God came to Abraham and promised
son...finally when Abraham was 100, he and Sarah had Isaac...birth recorded
Genesis 21...
2. But then comes Genesis 22...there God gave
Abraham a very difficult command...told Abraham take Isaac to certain mountain
and offer him as sacrifice to God...no doubt that command broke Abraham's
heart...Isaac was the son for whom had
waited many years...hope of future for nation...boy whose life Abraham
loved more than own...and now God saying, "Take boy and offer as burnt
offering to me."
1. Must confess don't understand why God ask
Abraham do that...know some say merely testing to see how faithful...know certainly
preview of great sacrifice God actually made on our behalf in his
son...however, still hard understand why God put Abraham through such
emotionally wrenching experience...
2. However, while don't understand it, can learn
from it...one thing can learn is that obedience sometimes difficult...could not
have been more difficult thing all world for Abraham to do... as if picked
hardest and said, "Abraham, prove faithfulness and obedience to
me.."
3. Need dispel the myth that the easiest all
lives is life obedience to God...neither Bible nor life of Christ nor history
of church supports that kind thinking...doubt that‑‑
‑‑12
disciples, all whom martyred except Judas and John...
--Apostle
Paul who was imprisoned, beaten, and eventually killed for preaching Christ…
‑‑Polycarp,
Bishop of Smyrna, burned at stake for refusing deny Christ...
‑‑William
Tyndale, who constantly persecuted for efforts translate Scripture language
people..
‑‑John
Bunyan, who was cast in prison preaching without license…
would say that obedience to God easy...
4. Abraham's experience should remind us that
being obedient to God is not always easy...as matter of fact, more often than
not being obedient to God is difficult....
II. OBEDIENCE TO GOD IS ALWAYS BEST
1. In Genesis 25 where Abraham's death recorded,
a beautiful thing said about him...25:8 says, "And Abraham breathed
his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with
life..."...suggest died satisfied with life because lived life of
obedience to God...
2. Point is God calls to obedience because wants
us have good life...knows what's best for us...knows what should avoid and seek
after...commands gives us in Scripture and direction give for our lives not for
purpose of restricting us or making our lives miserable...designed free us get
most out of life...
1. When I was child parents required me do some
things didn't particular want to do...
--sometimes
made me stay in and do my homework when I wanted be out playing with friends...
--made me go
church on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights, when many friends at school out
doing other things...
2. At time didn't understand why require some of
those things of me...but looking back from perspective of today, realize life
much better because of those values they instilled in me...
3. Way is with obedience to God...may not
realize it at time, but obedience always makes life better...
III. NO‑ONE IS OBEDIENT ALL THE TIME
1. May sound like rather strange and dangerous
thing to say...want you to understand the spirit in which say it...don't say to
encourage disobedience...but want know when make mistake and fail do what God
wants, not end of world and God doesn't write us off and forget about us...
2. Clearly seen life Abraham...here is man
recognized as one of outstanding religious leaders in history of
world...however, also man not always obedient to God...
3. As read story in Genesis, several occasions
portrayed as weak, fearful, deceptive man...last part Genesis 12 read about
famine sweeping across land Canaan...and because Abraham refused trust God
provide for him, against God's will took family to Egypt...while in Egypt
Abraham deceived Pharaoh into thinking Sarah actually his sister rather than
wife...
1. Point is no‑one is perfect...no‑one always as
obedient as should be...when fail in our obedience, need confess failure to
God, do what can to undo damage we have done, and go on trying be obedient...
2. No better illustration of that in Bible than
in life Simon Peter...one moment Jesus said, "Blessed are you Simon
Barjona" and next say, "Get behind me Satan.."...but
Peter kept trying and God blessed him....
IV. OBEDIENCE TO GOD INVOLVES ACTION
1. When God told Abraham leave his homeland and
journey land God show him Bible says, "So Abraham went forth as the
Lord had spoken to him..."...when God told Abraham to take Isaac
to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him Bible says, "So Abraham rose
early in the morning..and went to the place God had told him.."
2. Abraham didn't just talk about obeying
God...did it!...acted!..
1.
Is it possible that we talk more about obedience than we
actually obey...for example, we talk about importance of--
‑‑reaching people
with gospel...but are we really doing anything to reach them?..
‑‑loving
people as Christ loved us...but what do we do to let people know love them in
that way?...
‑‑Christians
caring for those who have special needs...but do we do anything to meet needs
except talk?...
1. Jesus once told parable about man who had two
sons...asked first son work in vineyard and said okay but never went to
work...asked second son work in vineyard and said no, but did go work...asked, "Which
of the sons did the father's will?"....
2. Obedience is not talk...it is action...
CONCLUSION
1.
Christianity not so much a religion of head as it is
religion of heart...must avoid temptation of thinking Christianity as merely a
mental exercise and failing to see it as way of life...while there are many
theological and philosophical questions about which we can endlessly speculate,
that is not essence of Christian life...
2.
The essence of the Christian life is obedience to
God...and from the example of Abraham we can learn that obedience--
‑‑it's not
always easy...
‑‑it is
always best...
‑‑no‑one is
always obedient...
‑‑obedience
involves more than talk...involves action
3. I want to end with a quote from Marriage Partnership
magazine (1995): "Trust that God has your best interests in mind and
be willing to do what He asks of you, even if you don't understand why. Obedience starts with having a heart that
says yes to God."
4. May we have the kind of heart which says yes
to God!
