Why Should We Trust God’s Promises to Us and Our Family?: Genesis 15:1-21 (13)

  • A prototype = pattern to repeat (e.g. Adam/Eve marriage)
  • Abraham is prototype of faith, growing in faith walk w/God

 

You Can Have Faith in God, and Questions for God

Genesis 15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

? Like a kid w/a parent

Vision – vs dream (Trinity confirmed by a vision in Fla.)

Abraham “exalted father” = painful name

  • 1st time he speaks to God??   A. wavering belief       B. more personal relationship)
  • 25 yr wait –                             A. God’s will                B. God’s timing

God – speaks in vision & “word of the Lord”

            A. “I am your shield”               B. “your reward shall be very great”

            A. Family “son”                        B. Legacy “stars” – have faith?

            Gal. 3:7 “ it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” (1 star ur name on it)

“fear not”

  • #1 Command, 150x – 300X in Bible
  • Someone/Something I love has harm coming in the future
  • Fear =             A. personal                  B. local            C. national                   D. global

– Body – blood pressure, heart rate, anxious, trouble sleeping

– Mind – searching data (case build)              A. Self-fulfilling prophecy        B. False prophecy

– Soul –           2 Tim. 1:7 “spirit of fear” vs                 1 Jn. 4;18 “perfect love casts out fear”

= 1. Fight 2. Flight 3. Freeze 4. Faith (regulate emotions; return to “normal”, neural pathway)

FAITH – 1. God is bigger 2. God is w/you 3. Talk w/God

= Jesus Gethsemane (awake all night; Hematidrosis)

God Has Grace for You

Romans 4:1-5 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture [Genesis 15:6] say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

  • Gen. 15:6 = Gal 3:6; Jam. 2:23, Rom. 4:3
  • Faith – trust, certainty, confidence, NO PLAN B

Righteousness – legal standing = made right w/God

BY Works – human attempt to prove you are a good person

  1. Religious Works = legalism (merit/demerit checklist)            – Luther
  2. Secular Works = causes, virtue signaling                              – WOKE

BY Faith/Gift – trusting God’s work. Jesus said “It is Finished!”

= 2 Cor. 5:21 

Father adopting child (vs Master) 

God Has Covenant Relationship for You

Genesis 15:8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Prophecy

  • God foretells the Exodus 400 yrs (Genesis readers living the return home)
  • Land borders same Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:10-14)
  • “iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” – like Noah wait for evil to peak

Promises

-Politicians promise to voters. Kings don’t promise to subjects. Our KING is our FATHER

Covenant

·         Animals Yahweh requests = Levitical sacrificial system (1 Sam 16:2; Lev 1:1–17; 5:15–18)

·         God covenanted while Abraham slept (e.g. Adam when Eve made)

·         “Cutting of covenant” = life & death seriousness

·         Only God passed through = unconditional = 1 sided covenant

·         Bible a bloody book (OT 362X); (NT 92X) + related terms priest, temple, fire, smoke

Lk 22:19-20  [Jesus] took bread, & when he had given thanks, he broke it & gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

1.    God told Abraham to leave his Father & home as a picture of Jesus the Son of God leaving God the Father and His home in Heaven.

2.    God promised Abraham a son who would lead to the coming of Jesus the Son of God.

3.    God promised Abraham his descendant would bless the nations, & Jesus is that blessing.

4.    When God promised Abraham numerous spiritual descendants, He was speaking about us!

5.    God chose animals to shed their blood & give their life for the Abrahamic covenant. God chose Jesus Christ the Lamb of God to shed His blood & give His life for the New Covenant.

6.    Abraham waited in faith in the promise of Jesus’ 1st Coming. We are waiting by faith in the promise of Jesus’ 2nd Coming.

= God as                     A. Master (WORKS)                           B.         Father (GRACE)

Master – @ the finish line to judge us (walk FOR God)

Father – walking with us                     (walk w/God)

PHOTO:

https://parade.com/4742/jesswozinsky/father-72-and-quadriplegic-son-take-on-boston-marathon/

Dick Hoyt & son Rick

  • Rick never walked or talked (uses computer “my dad is my hands & feet”)
  • 3 sons; marathons & triathalons (1100 races)

Video – PLZ edit down to brief summary w/o audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaZwpD1Paag

PRAY

In this sermon from Genesis 15, Pastor Mark continues Abraham's story, preaching on the dichotomy of having faith in God as well as questions for God. He continues with the good news that God has grace and covenant relationship for His people, especially for those who don't always get things right.

TRANSCRIPT

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