In Hebrews 11—we have been looking at faith stories
-men and women who lived out faith’s definition
-NOW FAITH IS HOPE RECEIVED—THAT IS AS GOOD AS
SOMETHING OWNED
-THE UNSEEN THAT IS AS CERTAIN AS THE SEEN
Stories that have this intent—to increase our faith!!
-ABRAHAM is one of them
-the undisputed hero—the paragon of faith
-who receives more space than any other person in Hebrews 11
What was it about Abraham?
-what makes a hero of faith?
His story is found in Genesis 12
-and the first thing you notice is that it is set within the context of Genesis
11 and the Tower of Babel
-when the world determined to make a city with a tower that would reach
the heavens—“so that we may make a name for ourselves”
-it was their statement to God—their determination to make something in
their own strength, for their own glory
-this has always been our temptation—to build our kingdoms, our cities
-to prove our adequacy, declare our independence, build something for
our name
-but God scattered their plans—as he occasionally scatter ours—and
scattered the world
-and Genesis 12 is God’s way of saying—
-I am going to make My own nation, My own “tower”, My own city
-that will be for My name—by My power—for My glory
And whenever God chooses to do something extraordinary—He always looks for
a man, a woman
And here’s the amazing thing—God often does it through the most unlikely
-like Abraham-a man with seemingly no potential to be the father of a
nation
-in his mid-70’s
-married to a woman who was barren
But then--God does not depend on any potentiality in the one addressed
-I know that is true—just look at us!!
-the power of the summoning word is all that is necessary!
-“the Lord said” are the most powerful words in the universe
-they will have their way over barrenness, weakness, seeming
impossibilities
-it’s nothing to God to call into existence the things that do not exist!!
-and so the Lord spoke these words (read Gen 12:1-4a)
Abraham was called to leave—not just his land—but his family, his roots, this
chapter of his life
-called to leave everything he had known, held dear for 75 years
And Abraham, by faith, when called to go—went
It is this —according to Hebrews 11:8—that was Abraham’s first act of faith
-what makes a hero of faith?
1. SOMEONE WILLING TO GO
-Abraham obeyed—the tense implying an immediate response
-lit “as he was being called, Abraham obeyed”
-suggesting Abraham was already abandoned to God--ready to follow
Him—move with God on His adventure
-knowing that to stay in the security of Haran was to remain barren
-knowing that to postpone might miss the moment
-knowing that moments with God come and go, and the opportunities that
lie within them leave with them
-but there’s more to becoming a hero of faith--
2. SOMEONE WILLING TO GO INTO THE UNKNOWN (read 8b)
-Abraham traveled without knowing where he was going
-out into a vast unknown—an uncertain future with no map
-like all the others in Hebrews 11
-Abraham headed out “with closed eyes”
Larry Crabb in his Connecting talks about urges to be killed
-one of them is “fire lighting”
-our need to see the way—reduce the mystery
-we want to be in control—we require certainty, guaranteed outcomes, lit
paths
-BUT IT IS AN URGE THAT NEEDS TO DIE!
For God often insists that we step into the dark—if only to insure that we grasp
the hand of the only one who can see in the dark
The same words are spoken out of Isaiah 50:10
“Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on His God”
Abraham was willing to step into the unknown—this is part of what made him a
hero of faith
-there’s more to becoming a hero of faith—
3. SOMEONE WILLING TO GO INTO THE UNKNOWN AS AN ALIEN (read
12:9)
By faith—Abraham migrated to a land of promise
-“as a foreigner in a tent”
-living out of a suitcase—living desettled-which kept Abraham trusting
-kept him from becoming too attached to “secondary goods”
-putting down roots too deep
-and in this he was willing to experience a certain dissonance with the
world
-incur the stigma of stranger, migrant
-never really at home
-a monotheist amongst polytheists
-that those after him—Jacob, Isaac—lived in the same way underscores
that he did not receive the things promised in his life span—but welcomed
them from the distance-verse 13
-home remained elusive
-Canaan was not the final promise—but the preparation for it
What explains heroic faith? The passage makes one thing else clear—
4. SOMEONE WHO TAKES GOD AT HIS WORD (read 11:10)
-Abraham left home, stepped out in the unknown, took on the stigma of
alien
-pressed on—even if the promises stretched over to the other side
-for he was “looking forward”, continually expecting that his hope would be
as good as owned
-so he went hard after the promises given—
-the promise of an expanded life-I will make you into a great nation
-the promise of a fruitful life-I will bless you and make your name great
-the promise of an impacting life-the peoples of this earth will be blessed
through you
-and beyond all of this—something even more permanent-the promise of
an unshakable home
APP
I believe God is still looking for Abrahamic faith
-with the same willingness…
1. TO LEAVE
-to step out in faith
-and leave our country, our clan, our “nets” and follow Him
-and fully embrace God’s call
-maybe it is not a literal uprooting like Abraham
-but nonetheless coming to Christ
-giving our lives to the One who paid the price for our failures
-leaving the world we were once attached to
-with some of its disordered ambitions, affections
-that are out of tune with God’s ultimate intention
-every believer has to abandon his/her past
2. A WILLINGNESS TO HEAD INTO THE UNKNOWN
-for this is part of the journey of faith—out into this uncertainty--often
without any map
-headed out when all we have is faith
-but it is a step in the dark—it is a faith step
-and all I can say is—I am convinced we are doing the right thing
3. A WILLINGNESS TO BECOME ALIENS
-willing to experience some dissonance with the world
-I Peter 2 refers to those who give their lives to Christ as aliens and
strangers-nomads
-for like those at Pentecost—the Spirit never allows us to settle down this
side of eternity
-anymore than the early believers could remain settled in Jerusalem
-this is why they were referred to in Scripture as people of The Way, rather
than The Place
-we are a movement—not an institution!!
-like Abraham—we travel through this wilderness
-careful of becoming too attached
-where desires are refined
-and we work at getting rid of excessive baggage
-where we have occasional garage sales of the soul (Barnes)
-living in this in-between—between the already and not yet—heaven and
earth, present and future, CITY W/O FOUNDATIONS, CITY WITH
FOUNDATIONS
4. A WILLINGNESS TO TRUST IN GOD
-that God has made a similar promise
-to make of us an enlarged life, a blessed life
-has promised to remove our barrenness and replace it with a life that
bears fruit
-a life that becomes what God intended
-a life that impacts others
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