"I Will Bless You"

Second Sunday of Lent; 2/17/08

Genesis 12:1-4a; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Introduction: Have you ever had to make a tough decision? Maybe it was a decision to get married, or not; maybe it was a decision to a take a new job, or not; maybe it was a decision to move, or not; maybe it was a decision to end a relationship. There are many situations that come up in life which cause us to have to make tough decisions. The best criteria to use in making this decision, is to seek the Lord.

But what if it is the Lord that is calling you to make this tough decision? What if God’s call on your life is that tough decision? This morning, we see in our Genesis text that Abram is given a call from God. This call is a tough decision, because Abram is being asked by God to leave his country, and his family, and go on a journey. But Abram doesn’t know where this journey will ultimately take him. For Abram to make this tough decision, he is going to have to really trust God.

I. The Call- (Genesis 12:1)

Let us read the call again in Genesis 12:1- “Now the Lord said to

Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’” We see that there are 3 parts to this call: the call to go; the call to go from the country where Abram lived, and the call to go where God would show Abram. In essence, it was a blind call. Abram would not know where he was going until, and when, God showed him.

a. Go- There is a trust test that you have probably seen, where you have to

stand with your back to a person, and then you are to fall backwards, trusting that they will catch you. The other day I was doing this with my daughter, and she had trouble letting herself go, believing that I would catch her. My own daughter doubted whether or not I would catch her! For many people, it is difficult to just trust and fall backwards. You have to really believe in the person who is catching you.

So if this is the case, how much more would it take for Abram to trust God in what he was being called to do. In essence, when God says, “go,” it was something God expected Abram to do right away. The call isn’t in six months, but now. The call demands action on Abram’s part. God wasn’t saying to Abram: “I have an idea I want to run by you. Think about this for a while and let me know if you want to do it.” NO, God was not giving Abram the option to think on it. God wanted Abram to make an immediate decision of obedience, and follow.

As God calls Abram, so God calls you and me. We have to be listening to this call. But when we hear it, because it is from God, it is not something that should be kicked around, but something we need to move forward in right away.

b. From your country- So Abram was being called to “go.” But where was

he to go? They had an idea of the direction (later in Genesis 12 we are told they are heading to the land of Canaan), but there is not a distinct destination. Abram is just told to leave his country. I’m sure that God had a destination in mind, but at the time God believed it was better for Abram not to know.

So Abram was to leave his country. Why? Because God was going to establish a people for himself, with Abram as the father of the nation. I believe that God saw in Abram someone who was not happy with the world the way it was. Abram was a person who had great faith. Abram was one who would give his life in service to God. Now we know from reading the book of Genesis that Abram left a lot to be desired in his actions. But it was this faith that God saw in Abram that led God to choose Abram. And so God chose Abram to be the one to establish the place where God’s people would reside.

Can you step out in faith like Abram? Can you leave something comfortable and secure to do God’s will? God doesn’t always ask us to do this, but there are definite times in our lives, when we are called to step out of our comfort zone for the sake of fulfilling what God desires to do in and through us.

c. I will show you- The call is finished with the words “that I will show you.”

With these words God is telling Abram that he isn’t leaving him out to dry. God does have a plan; God does have a destination. When the time is right, God will reveal to Abram all that he needs to know.

EX. If you are like me, you have learned a few tricks in your day. It is fun to do the trick for your friends, and if you do it well, they are amazed. But when they find out how the trick is done, they lose interest in the trick. The other day I was watching a television show about the secrets of magicians revealed. It focused on a street magician. First, they would show the magician doing the trick in front of a crowd. The crowd would be amazed. Then, away from the crowd, they would show how the magic trick was pulled off.

It was interesting, for me, how once I knew how the trick was done, it lost its enjoyment. There is a sense of not knowing, that helps bring excitement and wonder to our lives and our journey. For God to reveal all the details to us, too soon, can affect our enjoyment of life. It could also cause us to feel fear or anxiety, which also could derail us from our journey. Like Abram, we need to be willing to move forward, without knowing exactly where we are going, accepting that God knows the ultimate destination, and God has a plan!

II. The Blessing- (Genesis 12:1-4a)

Along with the call, God gives a promise to Abram that he will be blessed.

The Hebrew word is “barak,” and means “to do or give something of value to another. God "blesses" us by providing for our needs and we in turn "bless" God by giving him of ourselves as his servants.” In this case, however, God isn’t blessing Abram with something he needs, but with something the people need.

a. A great nation- First, the blessing will be that God will make for,

and through, Abram a great nation. Because of Abram’s role, Abram will be blessed to be the father of this great nation. While Abram will be leaving his family, and his people, God will create a new people for Abram of which Abram will be the head. If you think of it in terms of gardening, Abram is being cut off of a wild olive branch, to become the root of a good olive tree.

But there was a burden for Abram, in that this nation was to come from him, and at age 75 he and his wife didn’t have any kids. How was God going to make a great nation from him? This was the second step of Abram trusting in God’s plan. The first was to leave his country. The second was to trust that God would provide for him an heir.

But let’s ask ourselves an important question here: WHAT MAKES A NATION GREAT? God said that He would make for Abram a great nation. But what makes a nation great? Many people? Great wealth? Lots of land? The fact that they are powerful? Throughout history, often times the great nations are seen as those who are the most powerful and have great wealth. Their goal has always been to dominate those around them and to seize more land…. But this is not what God is talking about here. For God, what makes a nation great is the presence of faith and trust in God, and a caring heart for those around them. For God, a great nation is one that cares for its people, and governs in fairness and good judgment.

As God looked at the world of Abram, He did not see any nations that were great. And since God promised to Noah that He would not destroy the world again by flood, God decided to set up a new nation that would be great as people who sought after and followed God as their Lord and King.

If we were to make it applicable to us, we would need to ask the question: WHAT MAKES A CHURCH GREAT? And a similar answer would come: a great church is one where there is great faith and trust in God, and a caring heart for those around them. I believe if and when we follow God’s call, God will bless us in this way.

b. Make your name known- The second way that God was to bless

Abram was to make his name known. Now there are a lot of ways to make your name known: President George Bush, Ghengis Khan, Jack the Ripper, Mohammed Ali, Mother Theresa, are all names that are well known. But they are known for different things. Some are known for doing terrible or illegal acts. Others are known for their prominence or place in society. And still others are known for their deeds.

God was going to make Abram’s name known, but for the purpose of being a blessing. This is an important qualification. God isn’t making Abram’s name known so that he can be popular, or gain wealth, or to control others. God is making his name known for the important purpose of blessing the lives of other people.

Sometimes when you are well known, you can have more opportunity to make an impact. EX. In 2002, ex-President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Just in the last two and a half decades, he has traveled around the globe monitoring elections, promoting human rights, and providing health care and food to the world's poor. Because of his being an ex-president, he has a name that is known, and that allows him to bless others.

As Abram lives his life, God will bless others through him, so that they will want to be like Abram and bless others in a similar way.

Illus. Have a pitcher of water. Pour water from one pitcher to the other. As I do this talk about how the water in the first pitcher is the blessings God has poured into us (often times through the lives of others). We are then to let these blessings pour out from us so that others will be blessed! The people we can best do this with is those to whom we are well known.

III. How is blessing received?- (James 2:14-18; Matt. 7:21; Rom. 4:1-5, 13-17)

a. Works vs. faith- There is an age old battle that argues between the

virtue of faith, and that of works. Many will say that faith is most important, because that is by what we are saved. But others will say that works is more important, because that is where the difference is made. In fact, this argument comes up in the New Testament, in the book of James, chapter 2:14-18, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ¹⁸But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

We see here the argument that if you have faith, but it doesn’t manifest itself into action, then your faith is dead. It is your works that shows the faith you have. While this is true to an extent, we cannot forget that true faith will always manifest itself in action. That is why Jesus says in Matthew 7:21- “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Thinking that you have faith is not what gets you into heaven. If someone really has faith, then their faith will manifest itself into action; into doing the will of God. Just because someone says they have faith doesn’t mean that they really do! Faith is more than saying the words. It is like my saying to Tyler or Tiffany that I love them, but I never go to anything they do. My words are empty and meaningless.

b. Abram is righteous by faith. In Romans 4 we are told by the

apostle Paul that Abram, who becomes known as Abraham, has great faith. This faith is seen in his works; he left his family and country, and he was obedient to God. But it isn’t his works that make him great; it isn’t his works that make him righteous. IT IS HIS FAITH. As Romans 4:2-3 says, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

As Paul says, it isn’t about anything that Abraham has done, because that would give him reason to boast in himself, and give him an excuse to not trust God. On the contrary, he cannot boast about his faith, but through his faith he will be inclined to boast about God.

To show this all the more, we turn to Romans 4:13, “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” The promise came to Abraham in faith, not by his works. His works were a by-product of his faith. And because of his faith, he trusted that God would give him an heir; which God did.

And then this promise is extended, as we see in Romans 4:16, “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” We, by faith, are Abraham’s offspring, and as his offspring, we receive the promise of blessing as well!

This promise is the promise of God. As God has promised Abraham a blessing, so we too have this promise of blessing coming to us. And because this promise is received through faith, all who have faith in God will receive this blessing. And as God blesses us, we are called to pass it on and bless others. Our blessing will not be the same as Abraham. But our blessing will be a result of hearing God’s call to us, and by faith living it out. In this faith, we will be blessed to be a blessing.

Conclusion: One of the great challenges of life is to know what God is calling you to do. But if you search your heart and mind, you know that time and time again there are things you feel led to do. Maybe it is being a big brother or sister, maybe it is serving on a counseling hotline, maybe it is helping at a food shelter. Whatever it is, it is there in your heart and mind. God has put the call there. You just need to search inside yourself and let God bring it to the forefront.

Abram was asked to give up a lot to follow God. That is part of the challenge of this world. We accumulate so much. We desire to own and possess. It is hard to give up what we desire. And when we hold on to these, we will not be able to follow God fully and serve God as He calls. One of the aspects of Lent, is giving up so that we can follow God. I challenge you this morning to think what it is you need to give up, so that you can obey God’s call to “go” to that place He will show you. Amen.