"God Came Himself"

(based on the devotions of Selwyn Hughes: “Every Day Light”)

1 John 4:7-16

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Introduction: Last week we started a 3-week series on the Incarnation of Christ. We talked about how unique Christianity is because it is the only religion that teaches that God took on flesh and dwelt among us. While God spoke to His people through prophets in the Old Testament, He decided that it was important for Him to come to this earth and speak the message in person.

Even more, God came to this earth, in Jesus Christ, to humble Himself by allowing Himself to be crucified for our sins! This whole idea of God taking flesh, and dying for our sins is what makes Christianity different from any other religion. While to the Greeks of the New Testament time it was nothing short of blasphemy to expect God to involve Himself in the affairs of the world, the gospel is about this amazing truth that the Son of God became the Son of Man so that humanity could become children of God.

This morning we continue in the whole teaching of the incarnation by talking a little more about God coming Himself.

I. Attempting to Find God- (Acts 17:16-34; Luke 11:39, 46; Luke 18:11, Galatians 3:19, 21)

Dr. E. Stanley Jones once said: “There have been two great attempts to find God throughout the ages; one is philosophy, the other, moralism.”

a. Philosophy- So let’s look at philosophy first. Philosophy is the

study of the general and fundamental problems of our world, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, and so on. The attempts of philosophy are represented by the three great philosophical nations—Greece, India, and China. These three nations have taken men and women about as far as it is possible to go by philosophical reasoning. Philosophy has tried to find God, but has been unable to locate God successfully! The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu summed it up when he said that the final word about God is silence.

Philosophy has sought after God but has not found God because they are searching in the wrong places. In essence they have made philosophy a religion. Remember last week how I said that religion is ‘man’s seeking after God’? God has actually sought after us in Jesus Christ, but if people don’t open their eyes they will miss it.

In the New Testament, the book of Acts, chapter 17, we see an example of this. Let me read for you Acts 17:16-33, “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) ²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. ²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us…³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” ³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed…”

Those who could get past their religion of philosophy and see Jesus Christ and His resurrection believed and followed! Their own philosophy only confused them, but Paul’s words of truth help them to see the truth.

b. Moralism- Second we have moralism. Moralism is the attempt to

find God through the law. We see this noble effort made by the Jews themselves after they received the ‘law of God’, the 10 commandments, from Moses. They devised such a system to try and find God through living according to the law. What this did was ultimately lead to people like the Pharisees, the religious leaders, who seemed good on the outside, but on the inside they were corrupt. Jesus even called the Pharisees on this when He said to them in Luke 11:39, “…‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.’” Then later in the chapter Jesus says in Luke 11:46, “…‘And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.’”

You see here that rather than lead the people to God, moralism leads people to guilt. Even more, it leads people to think they have to do it on their own instead of seeking God for strength, guidance, and righteousness. The apostle Paul helps us to understand the purpose of the law in Galatians 3:19, “Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions…” Because of the wrong we do, because of our sin, God needed to give us the law to help us understand the right we are to seek to do. But the law cannot save us. The law cannot lead us to God. As Paul continues in Galatians 3:21, “…For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.” Being right with God comes through faith in Christ, not by the law!

We see that trying to live up to the law actually causes pride. Jesus pronounced doom on the Pharisees’s attempt to find God through moralism when the Pharisee said in Luke 18:11, “God, thank you that I am not like other men (who sin)…” Those who sought God through moralism could not reach the kingdom by even their greatest self-effort. We see that both philosophy and moralism fall far short!

II. The Chief Distinctives of Christianity- (1 John 4:7-16)

a. Seminaries- The Incarnation is one of the chief distinctives of the

Christ faith. Yet, there are some in the church who cast doubt on this and other aspects of Christianity. We see today that Christianity is not only being attacked from the outside, but from the inside as well.

One source is theological seminaries. Many seminaries have become more and more liberal. They cast doubt on the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, and even the resurrection. In fact, there has been a whole movement, called ‘The Jesus Seminar’ that questioned the miracles Jesus did. This movement was launched in 1985, and was organized to discover and report as they call ‘a scholarly consensus’ on the historical authenticity of the sayings and events of Jesus. The result was that they concluded Jesus didn’t actually say much of what is attributed to him, and that he didn’t rise from the dead.

Here we see the casting of doubt.

A theological student was heard saying of his education: “If I were to accept what I am being taught, then I would leave college with the idea that the Christian faith has slightly higher moral teaching than other religions, is a little more consistent in its view of God and man, and is a little better in general, but not unique.” Is it any wonder that so many graduate from seminaries confused about what to believe and teach? If they are stripped of the gospel, the good news, then what is there?

This is why I have chosen to preach 3 weeks on the Incarnation, so that we can get past all the doubts that are cast by our world. Seminaries, churches, denominations are teaching untruths, and are therefore causing great problems in the Kingdom of God. We need to get back to the truth of God’s word!! We need to make sure that we know what the Bible says, not what others say it says. We need to understand that this liberal movement is seeking to make us more universalistic, instead of followers of Jesus.

b. What other religions don’t have- Selwyn Hughes, the founder of

The Crusade for World Revival was once asked by an interviewer: “What do you have that other religions don’t have?” To which he responded: “I have Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh.” Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh. It isn’t until we really understand this concept, that we can hope to make it a reality in our lives, churches, and world. It is the idea that God decided that He needed to send more than representatives who spoke on His behalf. The Incarnation is God choosing to come Himself!!

Illustration- “The Living Bible,” There is a true story of a college student named Bill. Bill has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus where Bill goes to college is a very conservative church. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill keeps walking and gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. The tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. The deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit.. A godly man, very dignified. Everyone thinks he is going to ask the boy to find a seat or leave. All eyes are focused on him. The minister has stopped preaching. What happens next is beyond words… This elderly Deacon drops his cane on the floor… and sits down next to Bill!! At this, everyone chokes up with emotion. The minister gains control and finishes his sermon. But what the people saw in church that day was never forgotten!

Why is that story so powerful? The pastor could have told Bill it was fine to sit there, and that would have maybe calmed the church some. But there would have been many still bothered by this young man sitting on the floor in the front of the church. This still would have made some people uncomfortable, since it wasn’t a normal thing to do. But by having the elderly Deacon sit on the floor with him, it made it acceptable to all. Even more, I would imagine it made quite an impact on Bill. By this action Bill knew that this man cared for him and loved him in Jesus. By this action the Deacon was showing God’s love.

In 1 John 4:9 we are told, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” Jesus Christ came to live among us. He CAME HIMSELF into the world so that we might have a better understanding of how to live this life on earth, and how to have life eternal in heaven. HE CAME HIMSELF so that we would know for sure what is the truth. We don’t have to be bothered about all the things that cause us doubt, because we have THE WORD become flesh; we have God Himself making everything clear.

Conclusion: I have heard many stories of college kids taking a philosophy class, and the lessons that are taught to them in the class causing them to doubt their faith, or even leave their faith. Why? Because in many ways philosophy is thought to be a religion or set of beliefs that help you live your life. Yet, because it is in contrast to Christianity in many ways, it creates so much doubt in Christians.

I have also seen many people destroyed by the moralism of the church causing them to be filled with guilt. When the church teaches that you have to ‘live by the law’ or God won’t love you, then people become crippled because their faith is caught up in their works.

While it is important to live the life God calls us to live, we can only do this through faith. Our faith leads us to want to behave as God calls us to behave; to love as God calls us to love; to share as God calls us to share. And when we fail, and we will fail, God is there, through Christ, to forgive us, pick us up, and put us back on the path.

If someone asks you, ‘What do you have that others don’t,’ I hope your answer is: ‘I have Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh!’ Amen.

"Made Himself Nothing"

(based on the devotions of Selwyn Hughes: “Every Day Light”)

Philippians 2:5-11

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Introduction: The other day I was shopping for a DVD player and I was looking at all of the different models. Of course they are different prices, from different companies. So I sought out someone from the store who knew something about the DVD players. My desire was to gain important information so that I could make an informed decision on which DVD player to buy. In essence, I was wanting some expert advice from someone who knew DVD players.

Throughout the Old Testament God established ‘prophets’ for the purpose of being able to inform His people about what was true, and right and good. God wanted His people to be able to make informed decisions about their life, and so He would speak to the prophets who would then speak to the people.

However, God ultimately knew that His prophets would not be sufficient, either for information or for saving His people from their sin. So God decided to take on flesh and dwell among us in Jesus Christ. God taking on human form in Jesus is known by the theological term “the incarnation of Christ.”

This doctrine, this truth of God is at the core of the Christian faith. So we are going to take the next three weeks to talk about it/ so that we not only understand it, but so that we can share this truth with others; this truth that sets Christianity apart from every other religion!!

I. God Comes to us- (Hebrews 1:1-14; Ephesians 2:8)

a. Unique- In every religion there is a great leader and teacher. In

Islam there is the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Zorastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster. Buddhism was founded by and based on the teachings of Siddhattha Gotama. In fact, I just read about Siddhattha Gotama. His parents tried to shield him from the suffering and death of the world. When he went off to school, his nannies would go ahead of him and even pick all the dead flowers. One day Gotama went out on his own and came across a dead body! He was so shaken by this that later in his life he started Buddhism for the purpose of trying to help people end their suffering.

However, no other faith claims that its great teacher was God incarnate. But this is exactly what Christianity claims. Not only does Christianity teach that God meets us where we are in need, but even more, He comes to us where we are and HE does the work. God is unique in that He understands our struggles deeply, since He experienced and witnessed these same struggles. When we feel guilt, we can know that Christ atoned for our sin, is able to forgive our sin, and remove our guilt. God comes to us!

Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

b. Christ’s call is to all humanity- In these days God speaks to us

through His Son, Jesus Christ. He speaks to all people, of all races. He does not see barrier, class, or creed. His message to us is ‘Whosoever will, may come.’ There are many who believe that Christianity is narrow because it teaches that people can only get into heaven through Christ. That IS Jesus Christ’s teaching. That IS what makes Him unique. It IS through Christ, God in the flesh, that we can come to God and get into heaven.

Christ’s call is to all because Christ doesn’t want to see any perish. Jesus Christ is unique in His Person, His Mission, and His finished Work. As pastor of this church I am called to be the Shepherd of God’s people here at Community Presbyterian Church. When people stray in their faith, or they aren’t coming to church, I am concerned and reach out to them. My intent, in love, is to help them stay right with God and experience the power of worship and fellowship.

Jesus Christ cares about all humanity. When we stray away from God, God reaches out to us through His Spirit. Because of what Christ has done, as we feel this prompting of God’s Spirit on our hearts, we can again come to God through Christ. The apostle Paul tells us of this in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” God’s grace comes to us to save us. Save us for salvation. Save us from our sin. Save us from our wrong choices. Save us from our struggles. This is the gift of God!!

II. Appeared in a Body- (1 Timothy 3:1-16)

a. Comparing our faith- Max Muller, a writer on religious issues,

once made an interesting statement when he said: “You do not know the worth of your Christian faith until you have compared it to others.” When we think about the fact that God has appeared in this world in the Person of His eternal Son, we begin to understand that our faith is not based on the word of a prophet, but the Word of the Son Himself! No other world faith even attempts to represent its great teacher as God incarnate. As God, Christ comes to us from the highest place. As God, Christ doesn’t come halfway, but all the way. Christ comes to this earth.

Story: There is a true story of a missionary in India who would regularly talk about Jesus Christ with Hindu’s, Buddhist’s and Muslim’s. As he would talk about Christ, and then hear them talk about their religions, he had a light of understanding come on in his head. Through his conversations with them he realized just how great God is, and how wonderful it was that he had discovered this faith in Christ. He said it like this: “All the old …modes of expression and accepted outlooks on life are challenged (when you talk to people of other faiths). (In these conversations) one begins to see where the relevant lies.” He talked about this teaching of the Incarnation to be the most significant. He talked about the ‘round table’ discussions he would have with those from other faiths as they each talked about the distinctiveness of their faith. The he said this: “Whenever I would talk about the truth of the Incarnation, the meeting would lapse into silence. Sometimes the silence would last for many minutes, only to be broken with the remark, ‘We have nothing in our faith that compares to that. Nothing!’”

b. In a body- In 1 Timothy 3:16 we are told by Paul, speaking to Timothy: “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” Paul helps us to understand the mystery, the wonder, and the relevance of the Incarnation. God the Son appeared in the flesh; in a body. This is not just my word, or Paul’s word. There is evidence of this. It was vindicated by the Spirit. It has been preached among the nations. It has been believed by the world. And now Christ, who was in bodily form, has been taken up in glory to heaven.

This last point is very important as well, because if Christ was still on this earth, we would not have Him as our mediator in heaven. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then we would worship a dead Lord, and a dead Lord is not very powerful. If Christ was not taken up in glory, then He would still have His human limitations. Christ did come in bodily form, but now He is heaven, reigning in all power and glory!

III. The Word Became Flesh- (John 1:1-18)

a. The Son is God- Sometimes this whole teaching can get confusing.

People believe that Jesus died for their sins, and that through faith in Jesus gives us forgiveness of sins, and the ability to come into the presence of God, and the blessing of salvation. But people struggle to understand that Jesus was fully God and fully human. Let me try and help you with this a little.

One of the most important verses in the Bible comes from John 1:14, which starts out, ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…’ But to really understand this verse, you have to understand the whole section of John 1:1-18. So we start with verse one: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Another reference to God the Son is ‘the Word.’ We see here the scripture telling us that ‘the Word was God.’ If you go through the Bible, you will see very clearly the Bible teaching us that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here is one of the verses that show us that the Son is God.

Verses 2-3 continues: “He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” God the Son (or in this passage known as ‘the Word’) was there in the beginning of all time. Being that He was there in the beginning, He, as God, was active in creation. Then from here we jump down to verse 14, which says: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

b. Division of religions- The Word, which is God the Son, took on

flesh and made His dwelling among us. God came to this earth in the flesh. God’s glory was revealed to us in the flesh. God’s grace was shared with us in the flesh. God’s truth was spoken to us in the flesh. Do you get the point? God came to us in flesh and dwelt among us.

This verse has been described as ‘The Great Divide,’ because no other religion can claim that the word they received from God became flesh. In all other religions the essential element is a word that became word—a philosophy, a moralistic system. Only in Christianity does God appear in human form.

When you are trying to share the Bible truths with people of other religions, there are many truths that are similar. Muslims, in the Qur’an, have something similar to the Sermon on the Mount. Hindus have in their sacred book something similar to ‘turn the other cheek.’ Buddhist teaching talks about being caring and sensitive to the needs of others. But no other religion has anything like the Incarnation! This is where Christianity is unique. And it is unique because it is THE TRUTH.

IV. Made Himself Nothing- (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11)

a. Radically different- The point here is that the Christian faith is not

just a little better than other faiths, but it is radically different! People often say that Christianity shouldn’t be thought of as a religion. Why? Because religion is mankind’s search for God. Christianity, however, is God’s search for man. There are many religions, but there is only one gospel. Religion is the word that became word; the gospel of Christ is the Word become flesh.

Commentator William Barclay, talking about the John 1:14 verse said: “This phrase explains why John wrote his gospel. John could not get over the fact that God had become man in the Person of His Son, and John sustained this thought throughout the whole of his writings.” Augustine, the great saint of the fourth and fifth centuries, talked about how in his pre-Christian days he had never read anything comparable to the phrase ‘And the Word became flesh.’

Illustration- “Excuse Me, Are You Jesus?” A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding... ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?' She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.' As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister.......' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'

b. God reveals Himself- Why would she think He is Jesus? Because

He was WITH her. He humbled himself and helped her with her predicament. That is what Jesus would do. Jesus took on flesh to be WITH us. He humbled Himself in doing this. Now it is not easy for us to understand what this means. The miracle of it alone is tremendous. God, holy, all-powerful, all-knowing, creator, and sustainer chooses to shed His holy clothing and take on flesh! Jesus leaves the confines of heaven for our sinful, ruthless world.

Paul says it to us like this in Philippians 2:6-8, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

One thing the ancient Greeks could never contemplate was that God could reveal Himself in bodily form. To the Greeks the body was a prison in which the soul was shackled; a tomb in which the spirit was confined. Plutarch, the wise old Greek, believed it was nothing short of blasphemy to expect God to involve Himself in the affairs of the world. Yet in the face of this, the highest thought of the New Testament world, the gospel, unfolded this amazing truth that the Son of God became the Son of Man so that humanity could become children of God. Could anything in heaven or earth be more wonderful than that? I don’t think so!!

Conclusion: Our challenge today, and the next two weeks, is to not only understand that the Son of God took on flesh and came to this earth, but to understand the implications for us. Even more, to know that Christianity is what is true. This whole truth of the Incarnation is what sets the Christian faith far above and beyond any other faith or religion. So let us take what we have learned today, and seek to share it with someone we know. Not with the attitude of superiority, but with the attitude of wanting to bless others with Christ. Jesus Christ dwelt among us so that we could truly know God. Let us seek to know God, and live for God, this day, and every day. Amen.

"I Will Bless You"

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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

Introduction: Last week Rev. Tod Bolsinger gave us a great sermon about how we are called to be a blessing. Each church, each person through the power of God, can be a blessing in what we do! But to be this blessing, we have to understand that we have been called by God, and then follow through on this call.

Now the call is usually a tough decision for us, because it requires us more often than not to do something we aren’t doing now. This morning I want to look a little deeper at the Genesis 12 passage that Tod talked about with us. In this passage we see 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. Abram doesn’t know where this journey will ultimately take him, but he is given the promise from God that if he follows this call, he will bless many people. 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 we have trouble trusting in people we know, how much more would it take for Abram to trust God (even though he knows God, yet God is not visible to him), to trust 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. What would have happened if Abram wouldn’t have followed? Well, many things that he did, that blessed many people, would not have happened!

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. If we do not follow the calling, then many people will not get the blessings God wants to pass on through you and me!

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

he to go? He had an idea of the direction (later in Genesis 12 we are told that he was 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; he made a lot of mistakes. 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 we step out in faith like Abram? Can we 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 what he needs to know as he need to know it.

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 excitement. 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 knowing that 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.

So 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. God will bless our community through us as well.

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: by being the President, by being a movie star, by being a famous serial killer, or by following God’s call like Mother Theresa. People 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; blessing people in the name of God. Abram would be known for his faith and his deeds. 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 few years, 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!

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 it is by faith that we are saved. But others will say that works is more important, because that is where our faith is seen; faith in action. In fact, this argument comes up in the New Testament, in the book of James, chapter 2:14-18, “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says that he has faith, but has no works. Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith if it has no works, is dead being by itself. But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works, show me your faith without the works and I will show you my faith by my works.’”

We see here the argument that if you have faith, but this faith is not seen in 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; their faith will lead them to live out 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 would be like my saying to Tyler or Tiffany that I love them, but never go to anything they do. My words would be 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; obedient to the call God gave to him. 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. What makes it even harder is that the call will change as we go through our lives. There was a time when I told people I would never become a pastor of a church. I thought I would do youth ministry all of my life. And yet, look where I am right now!

When we search our hearts and minds, we know that time and time again there are things we feel led to do. We feel God giving us the uneasy feeling that things aren’t right, and we are the one who needs to help lead a change. We need to act as Abraham did, and step forward in faith and trust. We need to take that first step, and let God speak to us as we follow the call He gives to us.

Abraham 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 things, we will not be able to follow God fully and serve God as He calls.

I believe we are at a critical stage in the life of this church. Many people have talked to me about their concern over the lower attendance in church, and the deficit we have in our giving each month. I believe God is calling us to invite people to church. I believe God is calling us to challenge the members of this church who don’t come regularly, to come more often. I believe God is calling us to tell people about Jesus. If people give their lives to Christ, they will want to come to church, and give to the church, and make a difference for the Kingdom of God! Let us hear God’s call to bless others, and in doing so know that God will bless us. Amen.