Consider What Moves You
Find security… by moving on God’s promises, not preserving your present prosperity.
It's about obeying his promises not ensuring (protecting, continuing) my present prosperity.
Live to follow God's promises, not preserve present prosperity.
Depend on His Promises
Look to His Promises
Act on His promises
Faith is not resignation to a power we do not know, faith is committal to One Whose character we do know because it has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
Gen. 12
God's promises... delivered to Abraham
The Hebrew word translated “covenant” has several meanings: (1) to eat with, which suggests fellowship and agreement; (2) to bind or fetter, which means commitment; and (3) to allot, which suggests sharing. When God makes a covenant, He enters into an agreement to commit Himself to give what He promises. It is purely an act of grace.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1991). Be obedient (Ge 11:27). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
call us to act
Leave and follow my instruction closely v 1
Follow me...
Guarantee an incredible future. -- His Plan -- promise for your future v 2-3
Notice the contrast between Genesis 11:1–9 and 12:1–3.
- At Babel, men said, “Let us!” but to Abraham, God said, “I will.”
- At Babel, men wanted to make a name for themselves; but it was God who made Abraham’s name great.
- At Babel, the workers tried to unite men, only to divide them; but through Abraham, a whole world has been blessed, and all believers are united in Jesus Christ. Of course, Pentecost (Acts 2) is the “reversal” of Babel; but Pentecost could not have occurred apart from God’s covenant with Abraham (Gal. 3:14).
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1991). Be obedient (Ge 11:27). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
Give His reassuring presence each step of the way -- continued guidance along the way v 7
Our response --
obey v 4-6, 8, 9
Call of God only becomes clear as we obey, never as we weigh the pros and cons and try to reason it out.
It is God's idea, not our idea
Adopt a Pilgrim mindset, not a settler
Real security is not found in our own effort -- that's what we must learn
Abraham chose to follow the promises of God, not the prosperity of the moment
It was forward thinking of him
Great Lives are trained by great promises.
Worship v 7, 8
Other Options We Can Choose
To debate God
Trust our common sense
We look for God to expound the details for us but do not obey
Wait to feel confident in the plan first, rather than confident in God
"Faith never know where it is being led, it knows and loves the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intelligence and reason, but a life of knowing Who is making me "go."" oswald Chambers Not Knowing Where
What if Abraham had not obeyed?
We are not saved by making promises to God; we are saved by believing God’s promises to us. It was God who graciously gave His covenant to Abraham and he responded with faith and obedience (Heb. 11:8–10).
How you respond to God’s promises determines what God will do in your life.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1991). Be obedient (Ge 11:27). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. (promise of forgiveness, call to action of sinning no more.)
Promise of peace, call to action pray.
Promise of provision, call to action seek his kingdom first. Prioritize me first
Promise of good through trials, call to action love God through it.
Promise of fellowship, call to consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.
Promise of a fruitful life, call to stay connected to the vine.