Abraham: Following In The Footsteps Of Faith
Sermon #2
Genesis 12:4-9
ABRAM'S COMMITMENT TO A LIFE OF FAITH
Intro: I remember as a young boy, that we moved around from
place to place quite a lot. We would live in this town for a while
and then we would move to another town, or maybe we would
just move from one house to another in the same town. We
never stayed any place for a long time. In a sense, I was a
pilgrim while growing up.
When I got saved, I soon discovered, from reading the
Bible, that the Christian life is also a pilgrimage, 1 Pet. 2:11.
Everyone of us that is saved is a pilgrim for the Lord this
evening. We are on a journey that began the day we received
Jesus into our hearts and that will continue until the day we
arrive in Heaven. This pilgrimage is, at times, a wonderful
thing. At other times, it is difficult at best. Yet all the time it is
a pilgrimage that is to be lived out through faith in the Lord.
Tonight, I want to spent some time with the first pilgrim.
This man named Abraham was the first one to leave
everything behind to walk with the Lord by faith. His
pilgrimage was not easy, though there were blessings along
the way for Abraham. However, in his pilgrimage, Abraham
sets the example for you and me this evening. He shows us
how to live out our lives in absolute faith in and total
commitment to the Lord God Almighty.
Let's journey along with Abraham this evening as he sets
the example for all of God's children down through the ages.
He teaches us a lesson this evening in The Commitment To
A Life Of Faith. There are three sides to Abraham's
Commitment To A Life Of Faith that I want to share tonight.
I. V. 4-5
ABRAM'S OBEDIENCE (Ill. It took a while, but Abraham finally came to the place of
total obedience to the Lord. That is the same place He
wishes to bring each of His children this evening, Ill. 1
Sam. 15:22-23.)
A. Involved His Separation - The call of God had been
for Abraham to separate from his relatives, and to follow
God by faith, Gen. 12:1. Abraham was called upon to
separate himself from everything that would hinder the
progress of the walk of faith!
(Note: The Lord's call is the same for His children this
evening! Anything that prevents us from progressing as
He would desire is a weight that must go, Heb. 12:1-2.) (Note: Most of the time, you will not be called upon to
sever ties with your family as was Abraham. However,
if you decide to walk by faith, there will be times when
they will not be sympathetic to what the Lord is leading
you to do in your life, especially if they are lost. In times
like those, the will of the Lord must be given the priority!
Ill. The words of Jesus in this matter - Matt. 10:32-39.)
B. Involved His Substance - Verse 5 tells us that when
Abraham left to follow the Lord, he took "all his
substance." In other words, when the Lord got
Abraham, the Lord got everything he had! Abraham
didn't leave anything behind for the world to use, but he
took it all and went after God.
(Note: You can gauge the level of a person's
commitment to the Lord by how much of that person's
"stuff" has been dedicated to the Lord! We get hung up
on the tithe. And, I believe that a person ought to tithe.
But, what you do with the other 90% is just as important
to the Lord as what you do with His 10%. You see, God
doesn't just want His part, He wants your part too! He
gives us what He does so that we might us it for His
glory and for His kingdom's work. That's why some
folks don't ever have anything! They peel off a dollar
for the Lord and spent the rest of the ten on themselves
and the things of the world, God won't bless that! When
He has you and your checkbook, He can bless you in
ways you have never imagined. By the way, the way to
get is to give, Luke 6:38; Mal. 3:10. That is not the
motive for giving to the Lord and in His name, but it is a
benefit! How much of your stuff does the Lord have?
Or, do you have "your pile" and "God's pile"? If you
do, I'll guarantee you that your pile is bigger! You had
better be careful, He might blow on your pile. If He
ever does, there won't be anything left, Hag. 1:5-11. By
the way, if you have a problem with your tithes and
offerings, you really don't have a problem with your
tithes and offerings. You have a problem with your
heart!
Of course, this thing is bigger than just God wanting
our money. He wants all of our stuff to be dedicated to
Him. He might want to use your house or your car. He
just wants you to surrender all to Him so He can do with
it what He will!)
C. Involved His Surrender - The Bible tells us that
Abraham did "as the Lord had spoken to him."
Abraham learned early on that the secret to pleasing
God is simply doing what He says, to the letter! Even
though the Lord's call upon his life would be difficult, it
was the only course of action that made sense. You
see, faith builds no barriers! It simply does what it is
told and trusts God to take care of the rest!
(Note: As we progress on our own pilgrimage, the
sooner we learn that lesson the better! The only was to
enjoy the Christian life to the full is to come to the place
of total surrender, where your everything is on the altar,
Rom. 12:1-2. You might think, as you read the life of
Abraham, that God wanted Abraham's stuff. Friend,
God didn't need Abraham's stuff and He isn't interested
in your stuff either! All God ever wanted from Abraham
was Abraham! That's what it all was all about.
Everything this man endured was about getting him on
the altar. That's where the Lord wants us too!)
II. V. 4-6 ABRAM'S OPPOSITION
(Ill. Abram wasn't going to find everything "smooth sailing".
There would be difficulties in his pilgrimage, just as there
will be in ours. Let's notice a few obstacles that Abraham
faced as he journeyed.)
A. v. 4 The Days Opposed Him - Verse 4 says that
Abram was 75 years old when he left on his pilgrimage.
That's about the age when some people begin to
seriously think about slowing down. Not this man! He
set out at that age to follow the Lord. I'll guarantee you
some of his kinfolks thought he had lost his mind. I can
almost hear them as they try to talk some sense into old
Abram, but, he is determined to follow the Lord in spite
if his age.
(Note: May I just remind you that there will never come
a day when you can turn in your traveling shoes and
your walking staff for a rocking chair? There may come
a day when you can't teach anymore. There may come
a time when you can't preach anymore. There may
come a day when you won't even be able to attend
church anymore. But, until we go home to glory, there
will never be a day when we will have the liberty to sit
down on the Lord an quit! Don't let your age, whether
you are young are old, stop you from serving the Lord,
Titus 2:2-3; 1 Tim. 4:12.)
B. V. 6 The Darkness Opposed Him - This verse says,
"And the Canaanite was then in the land." That
statement reveals much about the country that Abram
was moving into. The Canaanites were a godless
people, trapped in a system of religion that involved the
worship of many gods. They practiced human sacrifice,
various fertility rites, and had no regard for morality and
decency. Abram was headed into hostile territory,
where no one would be sympathetic to his lifestyle or to
his God. Yet, he was determined to follow God
regardless of the opposition from darkness that he
faced!
(Note: Nothing has changed since Abraham's day!
Those who determine that they will live a life of total
dedication to the Lord soon discover that "the
Canaanite is still in the land." The world, the flesh
and the devil have no sympathy whatsoever with our
desire to live for the Lord. If you choose to live a life of
total dedication, you might as well know up front that
there will be opposition, 2 Tim. 3:12. Of course, if the
Lord Jesus faced opposition and difficulty when He
walked in this world, why should be expect any better
treatment? Ill. Matt. 10:16-23; John 15:20.
In spite of the fact that the world is against the child
of God, we should still determine in our hearts that as
long as there is breath in our bodies, we will live for the
Lord, regardless of the personal cost. Who cares if we
are opposed, mocked, hated or ridiculed? Who cares
if persecution comes our way? A life of total
commitment demands that we stand faithfully in the
face of all opposition, 1 Cor. 15:58; Eph. 6:10-18 -
Stand!)
C. V. 5-6 The Distance Opposed Him - From Haran to
Beersheba, in the south of Canaan was about 500
miles. That isn't too great a distance today, but then
with flocks, herds, servants, household goods and all
the other things they had with them, this was quite a
journey. It surely would have been tempting for Abram
to stop short of going all the way. But these verses tell
us that he didn't stop. In fact, he just kept on going until
he had seen everything there was to see in Canaan
land, v. 9. God had promised it to him and he wanted
to see it all!)
(Note: What a lesson for the child of God this evening.
How often are we tempted to unhook and drop out of
the race? How often do the loads of life get heavy and
the ways of life get rough? Isn't there a tendency for us
to get weary and want to quit? Let me just encourage
you my friend: stay in the race! It will be worth it all
when we get home. Right now, the way gets hard.
When it does, you can count on the fact that God is just
trying to grow you. Determine in your heart that you will
never stop, never pull up short and never quit until you
have seen everything that God has for you in your
Canaanland! Just keep going on with the Lord. One
day we will reach the end of the journey and step out of
Canaan into glory, but until then, just keep on keeping
on for the glory of the Lord!)
D. V. 5 The Duties Opposed Him - Abram was a man
with many responsibilities. He had his wife Sarai and
his nephew Lot to look after. He had servants, flocks,
herds and all that came along with the to look after. If
he was like most men, then he would have believed that
it was his responsibility to feed that whole crowd and to
provide for the needs that arose. It took great faith for
him to place the unseen ahead of the seen and trust
God to take care of all the needs of life. Yet, that is just
what he did!
(Note: That is the place God wants us to reach as well.
He wants us to arrive at that place where we willingly
abandon the seen for the unseen at the command of
the Lord. He wants us to come to the place where we
know that we have what He has promised us, even
when we cannot see it, Heb. 11:1. He wants us to
come to the place where all of our to morrows, all of our
needs, all of our fears, cares, worries and problems are
left at His feet, Matt. 6:25-34. When you get right down
to it, you and I only have one requirement as pilgrims
for the Lord: trust Him and leave all the details to God!)
III. V. 7-9
ABRAM'S OPPORTUNITIES (Note: While this man was called on to walk by faith to an
unseen place, he was given opportunities that others knew
nothing about.)
A. v. 7 To Experience God's Promises - This man could
travel as a pilgrim in Canaan knowing in his heart that
every square inch of ground was his and his children's
forever! They are fighting over that patch of ground this
evening, but I've got news for you, that ground belongs
to the Jew! As he traveled, Abraham enjoyed the
future, though it still remained unseen!
(Note: what an example he sets for the children of the
Lord! Even as we continue on our pilgrimage toward
glory, we can see the future by faith, as though it were
a reality today! Friend, keep traveling for Jesus, you
are as sure for Heaven as if you were already there if
you are saved this evening, Eph. 2:6!)
B. V. 7-8 To Enjoy God's Presence - As he journeyed,
Abraham had a companion that excelled all others.
God walked with him every step of the way!
1. In His Worship - It seems that whenever Abraham
pitched his tent he also built an altar. He took the
time to worship as he journeyed. His altars give
loud testimony to the condition of this man's heart.
The fact that he built them in the center of Canaan,
where all around the people were enveloped in the
gross darkness of idolatry, says much about his love
for the Lord.
(Note: God's people should be known for their
altars! Not just in church, but everywhere our path
takes us. We should mark our days with prayer and
with time spent in His presence. We must make
worship a priority in our lives, John 4:23-24. When
we build our altars and are not ashamed of the God
we serve, it stands as a powerful witness to those
around us! There is nothing wrong with telling
people about the Lord, and we should all be vocal
witnesses. But, when you get right down to it, if you
have to tell someone that you are different, that you
are a Christian, then something is wrong with the
too! Our devotion to Him should make us stand out
from the world around us!)
2. In His Wanderings - Notice that as he journeyed,
Abraham and God enjoyed sweet communion and
fellowship. God spoke to him and he worshiped the
Lord. It seems that Abraham was determined to
include God in his pilgrimage.
(Note: Far too many people attempt to leave God
out of their journey. That is a recipe for disaster!
Whether you acknowledge Him or not, God is
always there with you as you travel, Heb. 13:5. If
you include Him in your life by listening to Him when
He speaks and by worshiping Him as you travel, it
makes the miles shorter and the trials easier to
bear.)
3. In His Ways - Verse 8 tells us that Abraham pitched
his tent between Bethel and Hai. The word Bethel
means "House of God." It was at Bethel that the
patriarch Jacob would later meet God one lonely
night, Gen. 28. Te name Hai or Ai means "A Heap
of Ruins". It was here that Israel would later learn
a valuable lesson about faith, obedience and the
destructive power of sin. I find it interesting that as
Abraham journeyed, he seems to be moving away
from "A Heap of Ruins" toward the "House of
God". This symbolizes the fact that Abraham was
moving away from what he used to be, toward that
which God desired for him to be! That's what
happens when a person sets out to walk with the
Lord!
(Note: When we determine that we will walk in the
paths of the Lord, He will begin the process of
transforming this "Heap of Ruins" that is our life
before Him, and He will transform us into a "House
of God" for His glory, 1 Cor. 6:19. That's why He
says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels",
2 Cor. 4:7. He takes us like He finds us and He
changes us into His image, 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Cor.
15:49!)
C. To Enter God's Place - This passage closes with
Abraham journeying on with the Lord. He was headed
somewhere. He may have pitched his tent at many
addresses in Canaan, but in his heart, Abraham was
already living in a far away country. He had already
looked away by sight and had entered a land called
Heaven, Heb. 11:8-16! Friends, that is why the life of
Abraham is a study in successful living. Why? Because
He lived on a higher plane than other men. He lived in
Heaven while his feet walked on the earth! He had
plenty of things, but his things didn't have him. He held
this world with a loose grip, trusting God to give and
take as He saw fit. That is how you make successfully
through this life!
(Note: May the Lord help us to get our eyes and our
hands off this world! When we begin to live on a higher
plane, we will see the things of this world become less
and less important. When we determine that we will be
heavenly minded, it will transform our walk down here,
Col. 3:1-3. It will take us away from thinking that we
have this or that. We will be satisfied with Jesus! When
that happens, we are on the path to certain victory in
our spiritual journey.)
Conc: Abraham sets the example of a man who was totally
committed to a life of faith. Can you say the same thing about
your journey? In which country are you more firmly planted,
earth or Heaven? God is still looking for those He can call to
a life of faith and use them to astound the world. Are you
willing? Are you that one God can use at this time to touch the
world for His glory? If there are needs, this altar is open!
