Rev. David Holwick A Abraham #1
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 2, 2005
Genesis 12:1-4
THE BEGINNING OF FAITH
I. Abraham was one of greatest individuals of all time.
A. A pivotal figure in Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
1) Greatest praise: called "The friend of God." Jam 2:23
B. Simple reason: God called him, and Abraham obeyed.
1) No reason is given for the choosing of Abraham over others.
a) Part of mystery of God's grace.
2) It balances God's dispersion of the nations in Genesis 11.
a) God will set things right by starting with one man.
b) God himself took the initiative.
II. God's call required Abraham to leave.
A. Leave country, people, household. Gen 12:1
1) This would have been a high price for Abraham to pay.
Verse 4 makes it sound like he was in a city called Haran,
but other passages like Acts 7:2-4 make it clear that
the actual call came while Abraham was in city of Ur.
Ur was a fabulous city.
It was near the Persian Gulf, in what is now Iraq, and even
in 2000 BC it had an advanced culture.
Back in the 1920s and 30s Sir Charles Leonard Woolley
excavated Ur and came up with some of the greatest
treasures of archaeology.
In Ur's royal cemetery they found 16 tombs, each one filled
with golden headdresses and gold and silver harps.
Woolley's excavations also revealed that the houses in Ur
were 2 stories high and were whitewashed.
The larger homes had up to 20 rooms, with well-equipped
kitchens, good plumbing and sanitation.
Their schools taught mathematics, astronomy and medicine.
Abraham was not a yahoo from the back side of the desert
who didn't know anything.
He probably had a very comfortable life in the most advanced
culture of that time.
He was also in his golden years. #2215
2) Ur was prosperous, cultural - and idolatrous.
a) Ur's original religion put its faith in one god.
b) As time went by, a multitude of gods were added.
1> The primary deity was the Moon goddess.
2> They also sacrificed humans.
c) Abraham's own family worshipped idols. Joshua 24:2
B. National and ethnic bonds still have a tight hold.
1) Reason behind much strife in world today.
2) God's call is higher than human bonds.
3) It is more important than patriotism, family & friends.
III. Abraham's obedience.
A. When God told him to leave, he left.
1) Similar to how the disciples answered Jesus' call.
2) NT - he was saved when he believed. (compare Genesis 15:6)
a) He was saved before "doing" anything.
3) His obedience in going confirmed his faith.
B. His obedience was a process.
1) Abraham's left, but not right away.
a) He spent years in Haran before heading off to Canaan.
2) He didn't make a clean break in leaving his family.
a) He apparently took his father and others along.
1> Elsewhere it says his father believed in God. 31:53
2> However, they took some idols along. Gen 31:19
3) Abraham is not necessarily at fault.
a) The Bible does not criticize him for lingering.
b) Others like Paul also took time to process their
divine call.
IV. Christian faith also requires "leaving."
A. Leaving religious practices that are unbiblical.
1) Just because something is "religious" doesn't make it right.
2) False religion is pervasive today. (pick & choose)
B. Leaving relationships that pull you down.
1) Your closest relationships - dating, marriage, business -
should be limited to committed Christians.
2) If you are already in such a relationship you may have to
stay, but be aware of how they affect you.
C. Leaving sinful practices and worldly attitudes.
"Street Stories" TV show a few years back.
Ed Bradley interviewed a young black athlete, Charlie Ward.
(Heisman winner in 1993)
Ward had recently become a born-again Christian after living
a very wild life.
Bradley suggested that the athlete's outspoken faith in Jesus
would cost him endorsement money.
The athlete agreed, but stuck to his guns.
A faith that doesn't cost us something, isn't much of a faith. [1]
V. God's call contained promises.
A. Make him a nation, make him a name, make him a blessing.
1) "I will" introduces each one, shows God's action.
2) Each of these promises is invisible and intangible at
this point.
B. It took a while to get them.
1) Instead of a nation, he got a small family.
2) Instead of a land, he gets only a burial plot.
3) He did not receive all the promises in this life. Heb 11:13
a) But he still believed:
Romans 4:21 - Abram was "fully persuaded that God had
power to do what he had promised."
C. What are God's promises to us?
1) The same as Abraham's promises:
a) We become part of a great family and nation.
1> The church.
2> The Kingdom of God, both here and in heaven.
b) We receive a great name.
1> We don't have to strive for fame or fortune.
2> Being known by God is good enough.
c) We can be a blessing to others.
1> We can give without expecting something in return.
2> Our perspective is not limited to this life.
2) Christians have a goal and focus in life.
a) We are not wandering aimlessly - we have a purpose.
b) God's Kingdom is our real home.
c) But we are not "there" yet.
VI. Abraham's faith can be our faith.
A. More than a great man - all peoples blessed through him. 12:3
1) Judaism remains a small faith.
2) Only in Christ is there complete fulfillment of the promise.
B. To follow Abraham's example, we must believe as he did.
1) He believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
a) It is not what we do.
b) It is based on who God is.
2) Accepting Christ puts us on the same pilgrim path.
a) It begins with a response to God's call.
b) It continues with obedience to his directions.
3) A believing faith that goes where God tells us to go.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
Adapted from sermon "Abraham, Friend of God," January 3, 1993.
[1] From my memory of the "Street Stories" interview in 1993.
#2215 "Walking By Faith," from sermon by David Holwick on January 3, 1993.
The facts probably come from a commentary which I can no longer
identify.
These and 28,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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Commentaries: Kidner, Briscoe, Sailhammer (Expositor's)
