"Blessed Are the Lord's People"
Genesis 15:1-6
3/4/07; Second Sunday of Lent

Introduction:

Why is it that some people can find it in themselves to believe in God, and others can’t? Even more, why is it that some people can believe in God taking on human form, in Jesus Christ, and die on the cross for us, but others can’t? Why is it so hard for some to believe in a God who is personal?

Well, the answer for those who don’t believe differ:

1. For some, it is because they need proof of God’s existence, and God’s

willingness to interact with us.

2. For others, it is because they see the pain and suffering in the world and

can’t believe that if a God existed, then this God would allow this pain and suffering.

3. Still for others, it is because they believe that believing in God is a crutch

for those who are too weak to make it on their own.

4. For others it is because they believe that believing in one god is too narrow.

5. And still, for others, it is because of the hypocrisy of the lives of those who

call themselves Christians.

There are many things that keep people from believing, or make it difficult to

believe. During Lent, we especially talk about the importance of faith and deepening our faith. But for some of you, it is difficult to deal with this issue of the cost of faith; of really making a total commitment.

Jesus, Himself, told us that He was God in the flesh, and that He came to die on the cross to save us from our sins, and that all who believed in Him, all who called on His name, would be saved and have eternal life. This morning I want to look at how we can accept this, and walk forward in it. I want to talk about how we, by believing, become those who are blessed by God.

I. Being Confident- (Psalm 27)

a. Searching- “Amy Tracy,” Focus on the Family Magazine, March, 1998.

There is a woman named Amy Tracy who tells her story of searching in the March, 1998 “Focus on the Family” magazine. Her search is for peace and for answers. She has difficulty believing in God, and so she searches for answers in every place except God. She searched for them in feminist politics, in the gay and lesbian community, in the National Organization of Women (N.O.W.). But in all her searching, she could not find peace; she could not find the answers she was looking for.

In her work with NOW, she often encountered Christians who had hostile behavior, especially outside of the abortion clinics. One day she was at an abortion clinic, following 2 pro-life men, trying to catch them in the act of violating a court injunction. As she was following these men, one of them turned to her and her friend and began to talk to them about Jesus and His love for them. Amy talks about how this man’s words started to melt away the angry countenance of the friend she was with. Before the conversation went too far, she pulled her friend away. This was the beginning of her finding God. This was the planting of a seed.

In August, 1995, she wrote this in her journal: “I seem to be on a course I cannot get off. The feelings are as powerful as ever…If I choose Jesus, I will lose everything. What if I’m mistaken? What if this craving for God and this emptiness is not satisfied? Where will it leave me? The next Sunday she decided to go to church, and she realized that the pastor’s message was about the gospel, the love of Jesus. This was the very thing her soul craved./ In September, 1995, she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. By doing this she lost her career at the N.O.W. organization, she lost her love relationship, she lost friends, and she lost the respect of those who knew her best.

In her words she says: “The forgiveness and love that come in a relationship with Jesus Christ are to me the most awesome benefits of Christianity. It’s all about the love of Jesus. And it’s worth the cost.”

b. Confidence- People are looking for answers in this world. People are

looking for peace in their lives. The problem is that too many people are looking in the wrong places. Like Amy Tracy, they are looking to every place but to God. And the truth is, we will never have confidence in our lives without God. Every little bump in the road causes people to withdraw more and more from living their lives as they were meant to live.

I see it all the time. People who look lost and confused; frustrated and defeated. Feelings of hopelessness and despair abound in our world. I want to tell you that we can overcome these feelings; we can overcome this confusion. We can be confident. But we must seek the Lord.

In Psalm 27, we are told in verses 1-3, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? ² When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. ³ Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

And then the psalmist’s closing words of the psalm tell us how this confidence can be ours. (verses 11-14): “Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” It is about learning and following the ways of the Lord. It is about seeking to live out the goodness of the Lord. It is about waiting on the Lord, knowing that the Lord is there and will do His will in His time.

II. Following a Pattern- (Philippians 3:17; Genesis 15:6)

a. An experience- In the movie “Contact,” Jodie Foster plays a scientist;

a doctor of astronomy. Her lifelong goal is to search out life in space. Her belief, that she gets from her father, is “that if there isn’t other life, then the universe is sure a waste of a lot of space.” One night while she is listening for sounds in space, she hears what seems to be a signal. This signal is recorded, and in time she and others are able to decipher a message. In fact, the message is really a blueprint to build a machine that will send someone into space to visit these aliens. The machine is built, and Jodie Foster is chosen to go.

As the pod is dropped into the launcher, a wormhole opens up and sends her into space. She is delivered onto what looks like to her an island, and what appears to be her father, who has been dead for many years, appears to her and tells her that she is not dreaming, but he has this appearance so that she would not be frightened. He in fact is an alien, and this encounter is just the first of many steps that will happen in terms of contacting people on earth.

She returns to earth as the pod drops through the launching pad and into the water. However, a short time later, she is told that she never went anywhere. She watches a video of the pod dropping straight down into the water in a matter of seconds, and yet she was gone in her mind for about 18 hours….An investigation is started, and she is brought to a government interrogation. Here at the interrogation she tells what happened: (play movie clip) Jodie Foster: “I believe the machine opened

up a wormhole; a tunnel through which the fabric of space.

I traveled through this wormhole to encounter aliens. The alien

appeared in the form of my father to make me comfortable

and accepting. Although it took 18 hours, the time appeared to

pass instantaneously here on earth.”

NSA Advisor: “Isn’t it true that these wormholes are merely theoretical? That there is no direct evidence that they exist?”

Jodie Foster: “There is no direct evidence. No”

NSA Advisor: “Why would these aliens send you back without any proof?”

Jodie Foster: “That’s how it has been done for billions of years with

other civilizations.”

NSA Advisor: “Couldn’t it be in fact a phenomenon known as self-

reinforcing delusion to make you believe that all this is true?”

Jodie Foster: “You think I’m delusional?”

NSA Advisor: “I think you are having a delusional experience. Doctor, are

you familiar with Occum’s Razor?”

Jodie Foster: “Yes. All things being equal, the simplest one is true.”

NSA Advisor: “Isn’t it possible that this was all a dream? There is no

evidence. No artifacts. Are we just to take this all on faith?”

Jodie Foster: “Is it possible it didn’t happen? Yes. (The crowd stirs.) As

a scientist I must concede that….”

NSA Advisor: “You admit that there is no evidence that this actually happened? That if you were in our place you would have the same skepticism?”

Jodie Foster: “I had an experience. Everything that I am tells me it was real. Something wonderful happened that has changed me. A vision that tells us something greater is there; telling us that we are not alone, and that we are special…I wish that everyone for even one moment could experience what I have experienced.”

What a wonderful description of faith and conversion. “Something wonderful has happened that has changed me. Something greater is there that tells us we are special.” When someone believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, there is this wonderful experience. BUT, it can’t stay just an experience. And because of that, we must follow an example, a pattern to move us forward in our faith.

b. Following an example- In Philippians 3:17, the apostle Paul tells us,

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” As we seek to live out our faith, we don’t know how to do it at first. So to grow in our faith, we must watch others around us who are further along in their faith journey. As we watch these other Christians, we will see a pattern of life that God calls us to live.

For example, the life of Abraham is a good example. Genesis 15:6 tells us, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Before he was known as Abraham, he was Abram. And the telling statement of Abraham’s life is this verse in Genesis. Abraham believed God time and time again. And because of his belief, he was able to act. The belief came first, then the actions. This is the pattern we are to follow.

When Abraham was called to leave his people and go on a journey for God, he believed first, and because he believed he took his wife and possessions and left. Later God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations, Abraham believed. But after some time when he and Sarah didn’t have any children, he began to doubt. But God came and affirmed the promise. Abraham believed again, and they had Isaac.

Faith preceded action, but action must follow to deepen our faith!

Conclusion: When I say the word “blessed,” you might have very different thoughts. To one person their children are their blessing. To another, their money is their blessing. Still another might think that good health is a blessing. Depending on what we want in life, the blessing will look different for each desire. But if you want peace; if you want hope; if you want meaning and purpose; if you want answers, then God is the blessing. The Lent season is about deepening our relationship with God so that we might live in a way that God will bless. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” God knows what will bless our lives and what will not. Seek God, and God will bless you. Believe in the Lord, as Abraham did, and through your faith God will guide you. Let us follow this pattern this Lent season, and know that the Lord’s people are blessed. Amen.