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Sermons from the Book of Genesis |
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Homer Rodeheaver was the great music leader for Billy Sunday and his evangelistic campaigns. On one occasion he had the opportunity to play golf at Palm Beach, Florida, with John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Just, as they were about to tee off, Mr. Rockefeller asked Rodeheaver to sing his favorite song before they played. Rockefeller's favorite song was, "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go, Dear Lord." There surrounded by perfectly kept greens, rainbows of flowers, stately palm trees, singing birds, and a beautiful sun-filled Florida sky, Rodeheaver sang the song for him, a man, who at that time, had amassed the greatest personal fortune in the history of this country. Rodeheaver later describing the scene said, "It was an experience. I'll never forget it. Here was a man who realized that there was something more important than wealth or power or in even playing a game of golf. As I stood there after finishing the song, he said, 'Homer, we have only one life - how soon it is passed. Only that done for Christ will last!' And with that he said, 'Now lets play golf."'1
If ever a man that lived ever truly said, "I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord," and fully understood that he had only one life and that which he did with that life for Christ, was all that would last eternally, it was Abraham. The first 11 chapters of Genesis cover the first 2,000 years of human history and the next 14 are given to the life of Abraham and his descendants. Over one-fourth of Genesis is given to life of this one man. Three times in the Bible, Abraham is called the "Friend of God." He was the founder of the Jewish nation and the father of all that believe. Apart from the Lord Jesus, Abraham is probably the most important person in the Bible.
To me, the epitaph that would be fitting and descriptive of his life would be, "I'll Go Where You Want Me To, Dear Lord." Now in the beginning let's notice in Genesis 12, three things that became common place in the life of Abraham.
First, we see:
1. THE PROMISE ON WHICH HE RESTED
Notice the first 5 words of Genesis 12:1, “Now the Lord had said.” What God had said to Abraham had changed and altered his life. For the rest of his life his decisions, responses, actions, and all of God's dealings with him would pivot on what God had said to him. It was this promise by which Abraham would live and on which he would rest. Notice God's dealings with Abraham and the promise that He gave to Abraham.
First, notice that Abraham was:
A. A Converted Man
We read in Genesis 11:27-28, “"Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees." We are given a little family history about Abraham. We learn that his father's name was Terah. We learn that he had 3 brothers. We also learn that he was the uncle of Lot. We also learn something about Abraham's hometown. We learn that he was from Ur of the Chaldees. Ur lies today on the southwest corner of Iraq about 75 miles north of the Kuwait border.
The book of Joshua gives us a bit of enlightening history about the background of Abraham and his family. We read in Joshua 24:2, “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.” We learn that Abraham and his family at one time in their life had served other (false) gods. Star and moon worship were prominent forms of idolatry in that area, and no doubt Abraham had been a worshipper of these gods. Both the region and religion of his early life was idolatrous.
But in Genesis 12, we see Abraham following the one and true living God. Notice Genesis 11:31, “And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.” We see Abraham and his family leaving the land of idolatry and moving to Canaan. It would seem that between verse 30 and 31, there had been a conversion of Abraham. It is obvious in chapter 12, that he was a converted man.
When Abraham was converted, it changed where he lived and how he lived. When a man is saved it will always change how a person lives (Cp. II Cor.5:17).
D.L. Moody was walking down the street one night when a fellow staggered up to him and said, "Your Mr. Moody!" Moody could smell the alcohol on his breath and it was obvious he was drunk. The man said, "You don't remember me do you." Moody told him that he did not. The fellow said, "11m one of your converts." Moody answered, "You must be one of mine, for you are sure not one of the Lord's."
One of the glorious truths about salvation is that Jesus can make you a new person. He can take you from a sinful life; such as he did Abraham, and give you a new life.
We also see that Abraham was:
B. A Called Man
Notice Genesis 12:1, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” Genesis 12:1, tells us why Abraham and his family left Ur of the Chaldees. God had told him to leave. He had heard God's call. Notice carefully what God had told Abraham to do.
It was a call to leave his residence. "Get thee out of thy country" (Gen.2 1:1). He was to leave his home, hometown, and homeland.
It was a call to leave his relatives. "And from thy kindred" (12:1). He was to leave his father and mother, brothers, aunts, uncles, etc. He was to leave the people he loved.
It was a call to leave his resources. "And from thy father's house" (12:1). Considering the number of flocks and herds, and the wealth that Abraham had with him as he journeyed, one can only imagine the wealth that was at his fingertips at home. He family was extremely wealth, and he being the firstborn, would be in line to inherit most of it.
Here is something every believer needs to understand. A converted man is a called man. There is not one converted man that is not a called man. Each of us has been saved to serve. God's call for you may not be the same as Abraham’s call-to leave your residence, relatives, and resources, but none-the-less you have been called by God to follow Him and serve Him.
We also see that Abraham was:
C. A Committed Man
Notice the last 8 words of Genesis 12:1, "Unto a land that I will shew thee." The amazing thing about God's call was that God told him to where to leave, who to leave, and what to leave but He didn't tell him where he was going. Can you imagine the picture? One day he walks he says to his wife Sarai, "Honey, I want you to start packing." "Why?" "We are moving." "Why?" "God has called me and told me to leave." "Where we going?" "I don't have any ideal."
Why would he make such a move? How could he make such a move? He had received a promise from God. Notice Genesis 12:2-3, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God had given him His word, and that's all Abraham needed. Notice Verse 4, "So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him." You say, "He was crazy." No, believing. He obeyed God resting on God's promises.
When the great missionary David Livingstone returned to Scotland on furlough from Africa, he spoke to the students and faculty at the University of Glasgow. He told them of his resolve to return to Africa even though death had nearly claimed his life several times. He said to them, "Would you like to know what has supported me all through the years? It was this, Lo, I am with you always." On those words I staked everything and they never failed."
It was on God's promises that Abraham staked everything. It was on this promise that Abraham rested his future and the rest of his life. Abraham went out singing, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." He didn't know where he was going, but he had God's promise that God would shew him.
I have noticed that a person will never obey God until they learn to trust God. If you really trust God you'll have no problem obeying God. Someone has described faith with this acrostic: Forsaking All I Trust Him." Faith is simply believing what God has said and acting on what God has said. We read in Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Here is the secret to being a friend of God. It is resting on His promises. It is not living on an explanation but God revelation. It is doing what God commands and resting on His promises.
Notice Genesis 12:4, “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.” I was talking to a preacher friend about a revival he had preached in a certain church. I asked if he had had a good meeting. He said, "We had a glorious meeting. A blind lady gave up watching TV. A one legged man gave up dancing, and a 90 year old man gave the rest of his life to missions." Well, Abraham was 75 years old when God called him. At 75 he left his residence, relatives, and resources, all because he was resting in God's promise.
Secondly, notice:
2. THE TENT IN WHICH HE RESIDED
The second thing we see that became common to Abraham's life was a tent. Notice Genesis 12:6-8, “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
Notice Genesis 13:3, “And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
Genesis 18:1, “And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.”
Hebrews 11:9, “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.”
No doubt in Ur, he had a nice home with all the modern conveniences. But now we see him pitching a tent. For the rest of his life he would live in a tent. Why? Notice Hebrews 11:9, “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” The two words "in tents" are emphatic for the purpose of calling our attention to them and emphasizing them. The emphasis is not on the fact that he was a tent-dweller, but that his dwelling in a tent was expressive of a great truth.
They speak of how:
A. He Was Living In A Temporary Residence
Hebrews 11:9, says that he "sojourned in the land of promise. We read in Hebrews 11:13, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. This world was Abraham's temporary home. He was in the world but not of the world. He was but a pilgrim and stranger passing through.
Many have driven their tent stakes down deep in this world, but the truth is, this world is not our home. We are pilgrims that are just passing through.
They also speak of how:
B. He Was Longing For A Permanent Residence
Notice Hebrews 11:9-10, “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." We read in Hebrews 11:13-14, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” Abraham had his eyes on another city and country. This world was a temporary residence. Heaven was his permanent residence.
The Bible says in Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” My temporary address is Chattanooga, TN. My permanent address is Hallelujah Blvd., Heaven. I hate moving. I would rather someone pull my toenails out with pliers than move. I read that as many as 40 million Americans move in any given year.3 But here is one move I am looking forward to.
This world is not our home. That's why the Bible says in Col. 3:1-2, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." We are tent dwellers. We are looking for a better city and country.
Thirdly, notice:
3. THE ALTAR TO WHICH HE RETREATED
Notice Genesis 12:7-8, “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.” Twice we have mention of an altar. As you follow Abraham, you find him constantly pitching his tent and building an altar. Notice Genesis 13:34, “And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.”
As you look at Abraham you see that the altar was:
A. A Place of Reverence
This was the place where He met his God. This was the place of worship and reverence. It was the place that he stayed in contact with God.
Every believer needs a daily altar. A time and a place where you meet God. Someone has said that if we meet God first thing in the morning we will never get more than 24 hours away from God. How long has it been since you had an altar and met God?
Furthermore, the altar was:
B. A Place of Restoration
This was the place where he not only met God, but made things right with God. It was a place of adoration, but also a place of restoration.
I need such an altar. When my heart gets cold, I need an altar. When my life becomes defiled, I need an altar. When my feet stray, I need an altar. There is nothing as critical and crucial to maintaining of the Christian life as an altar. It is like a doctors office where I treat my spiritual ills. It is like a spiritual cabin in an out of the way place to find spiritual rest for my weary soul. It is like a spiritual nutrition store to find all the spiritual vitamins I need to keep me strong and healthy. It is like a counselors office to get advice and guidance. It is like a family den for a son to share things with his father.
There were 3 things that were common about Abraham's life. These 3 things ought to be common about our life: A PROMISE - TENT -ALTAR.
1. Alfred B. Smith, "Al Smith's Treasury of Hymn Histories" (Heritage Music Distributors, Inc. 1981) p.188 2. Amitai Etzioni, "An Immodest Agenda: Rebuilding America Before The 21st Century” (McGraw-Hill Book Co.,1983) p.45 |