The Call

The Call

Genesis 12:1-9 NKJV  Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the [a]people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as [b]the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your [c]descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the [d]South.

Back a couple of chapters ago, we saw God disinheriting the nations at the tower of Babylon, and now we see His cosmic plan unfolding in the selection of one man, Abram 

The call of Abram later Abraham begins a new chapter in the OT revelation of God’s purpose to redeem and save humanity. God intended to have a man and ultimately a people who would know Him and serve Him with devoted faith. From Abram would come a line of people who would know, teach and keep the ways of the Lord. From this family would come a chosen nation of people who would be distinct from other nations and be carriers of the law and blessing of God. From this nation would come the promised Messiah, the savior of the world. 

From this we learn several important principles about the call of God-

A CALL OF SEPARATION- Abram’s call involved separating himself from his country, his people, and his house. God was establishing an important principle- God’s people must separate from all that hinders His purpose for our lives.

This is missing out of today’s gospel. There is no separation for many of those who claim to come to Christ. Today’s gospel message is God’s plan and purpose for my life, to bless my way and bless my path. It is a “I will do what I want” faith and asking God to bless my plans.

We know that Abraham is called the father of our faith, and that we are to have faith like that of Abraham- and this includes separating from things, places and people. As in a marriage covenant where when a husband and wife get married, they are called to leave their father and mother and cleave to one another, we are called to the same. We leave everything and everyone that offends Christ and cleave to Him.

Matthew 10:37-39  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

2 Corinthians 6:17  Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

Matthew 19:27-30  Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” 28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [a]or wife or children or [b]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

This separation is more than just wisdom. I have seen time and time again that people’s failure to separate from their influences is their downfall. (share about friend SB)

I don’t see much of this happening in the church. I see lazy, apathetic Christianity that produces nothing but the potential of being vomited out. 

If you want it easy, why? My flesh wants to live somewhere else because it would be easier. If I am bring honest, it is because I want comfort. My flesh wants the easy way. I am not really trusting the Lord to provide for me

This call involved not only an earthly home, but a heavenly one. Abraham desired and sought a heavenly country where he would live forever with his God

Hebrews 11:12-16   12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off [b]were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Ultimately, a huge reason I am willing to go anywhere and separate from anyone, is because I live with this promise on the forefront of my mind. This world is not my home. I am citizen of another country, Why does it mater where He places me or what He asks of me to separate from?

A CALL OF PROMISE– God promised Abram three things: a land, a great nation through his descendants, and a blessing that would affect all the nations of the earth.

The first two blessings are strictly for the nation of Israel. Abraham marks the beginning of the Hebrew people. Isreal is still God’s firstborn and the promise still stands. God has supernaturally guarded the land of Israel for Abraham’s descendants for thousands of years. This is clearly seen through the attacks on Israel. On June 5-10 in 1967, Israel defeated 6 countries in 6 days, it is called “The Six Day War’. He has supernaturally guarded that land for Israel. Yes, they still have to repent and recognize Jesus as Messiah, but God keeps His promises. It is always comforting to me to know the faithfulness of our Lord, that HE would keep and guard that piece of land for a people that rejected Him. What a GOD!

But the third promise is for us in Christ. God’s promise to Abram was not only a physical lineage but a spiritual lineage and blessing. It speaks of a seed, and that seed is Christ who offered Himself on the cross for the sins of all men in all nations

Galatians 3:16  Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

God’s promise reveals from the very beginning the purpose of the gospel was to bless all nations with salvation and the goodness of God.

This promise is specific to a people being formed in Christ that would fulfill the role of God’s people, the role that Israel failed to fulfill when they rejected the Messiah.

Those of us in Christ, YOU are here as a fulfilled promise to Abraham. What a God! We are now the people of God, and are called to shine forth His glory to our area, to show others that we are a blessed people of God, and call others to the same life in Christ.

Our lives and our church should be displaying the glory of the Lord. WE should show others by our words, actions, and lives that we serve a great Big God who loves us, gave Himself for us and blesses the works of our hands.

Are you doing this in your life? It is shown in the day to day life. DO you complain or praise? What is different about you than the surrounding society?

The American church is not revealing to the society around us that God is bigger than our problems, He is bigger than our taxes and tariffs, HE is bigger than the price of food.

Why is that the early church flourished under the tyranny of the Roman Empire? Because they didn’t care about their lives, or comfort, or the ease of serving the Lord. They needed Him, were zealous for Him, created lives where HE was the center and was mandatory to their success, whether they lived or died. But most of today’s Christians cannot even make it to church once a week. HE is more of an add-on than the most important thing in my life. 

HE is the very life and breath we breath! This should be displayed in our daily lives. His glory should so be revealed in our lives that people exclaim, “How come your life is so blessed??” Matt had a relative ask him this question, “how come everything you touch turns to gold?”

A CALL OF OBLIGATIONS– The call of Abraham contained not only promises, but also obligations. God required both obedience from Abraham and a personal commitment to Him in order to receive what was promised

This entails-

• Obligation. A trust in God’s word- 

even when the fulfillment of the promise appears humanly impossible. All who embrace and follow Christ are the true seed of Abraham, those who reveal faith like Abraham. 

What has God promised you?

Abram believed that God would give him a son through his wife Sarah.

Romans 4:18-22  who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 

Read v. 19-20 again. Meditate on that word and what it means. We trust when things look impossible. Share Ps Connie and cancer, stage 4

When everyone says No. It is dead. It cannot be done. Stop hoping. Stop believing. You are not called to that. You do not have enough education. You do not have enough money. God never did anything for me! Tell them—🡪SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

Don’t you stop having faith in God’s promise! It will not return void. 

Isaiah 55:11  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me [a]void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

• Obligation. Obedience to God’s commands-

I loved Sunday’s sermon, “Go and wash”. You are blind, with mud on your face, you have to go and wash in a place that is ¼ mile away from you. Why cannot I just wash here? Because HE said.

Obedience is simple. Disobedience is hard. I do not believe in a salvation apart from obedience. How do you call yourself a follower of Christ when you do not actually follow? The faith of Abraham is an obedient faith. Any kind of profession of faith in Christ as Savior that does not involve obedience to Him as Lord, is not the kind of faith that Abraham displayed, nor anyone else in Scripture. It is not true saving faith. The narrative from the beginning emphasizes that obedience to God is essential to a saving relationship with Him. Abraham obeyed the Word of the Lord. His obedience included leaving home and country and trusting in God’s care, guidance and promises.

We lose so many word meanings when we bring to it the English equivalent. I am really learning this as I am researching the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

Faith in the Greek word is not a static belief. It means to fully trust, to rely on, be fully persuaded, moral conviction and fidelity (loyalty)

I named my daughter Faith for this very reason- Old English “Fay” loyalty

Hebrews 10:38  Now the[a] just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”

We obey because we trust Him and keep moving toward the prize. We obey because we love Him. Examine your heart. You do not obey because you do not fully trust that He will take care of you.

Do things the Bible way and get the Bible results. 

• Obligation. A sincere endeavor to live righteously- 

Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am [a]Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 

WE endeavor to live a holy life as unto the Lord, we walk in the Spirit, we crucify our flesh, we live according to His laws and principles. As much as it pertains to us.

Does this mean we never fail? No. It means we are endeavoring to live for Him. The longer I am with Him, the less I want anything to do with the world. WE should be growing in this, growing and maturing in the faith, growing closer to our Lord and further from the world. We should look different in stages. Measure growth in increments

A CALL TO BUILD– Abraham built an altar in Bethel and called on the name of the Lord. 

Bethel is significant in scripture. It is referenced around 116 times

Bethel is referenced  as both a place and later as a city of profound spiritual and historical importance. Its name means “House of God,”. Bethel is pivotal in the spiritual narrative throughout Israel’s history. 

Abram (later Abraham) built an altar “between Bethel and Ai” and called upon the name of the Lord. This is the inauguration of Bethel’s association with worship and covenant.  Jacob, fleeing from Esau, has a divine encounter in a dream. Awakening in awe, Jacob declares, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it!” He sets up a stone pillar, pours oil on top, and names the place Bethel. These events reinforce Bethel’s status as a sacred location for remembering God’s covenant faithfulness.

Later, God commands Jacob: “Arise, go up to Bethel and settle there”. Jacob obeys, and again Bethel is marked by an act of worship-Jacob builds an altar and renames the site El-Bethel, signifying “God of the house of God”.  This repeated emphasis cements Bethel as a place where critical covenant events occur in Israel’s early history.

Following the Conquest under Joshua, Bethel continues to surface in Israel’s tribal land allotments. The house of Joseph “marched up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.” Bethel’s mention illustrates its status as a key location in the settlement patterns of the tribes of Israel.

Bethel also appears in contexts of inquiry before the Lord. Judges 20:18 notes that the Israelites “set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God.” This place of inquiry and prayer confirms Bethel’s ongoing role as a recognized site where people sought the Lord’s counsel.

Bethel, the house of God, is a place of remembrance. It is a place to worship the Lord, to inquire of Him, to know Him and hear from Him and to remember all He has done.

I have a ring- my home church was sold to the city and torn down. My ring represents a place where I met my first love and made a vow to follow Him all the days of my life

Cornerstone- my Ebenezer July 2019 the Lord has helped me thus far

Engrafted Word- Gilgal, 2023 God rolled away my reproach, and all the lingering effects of Egypt

Faith and Victory Church- the place I was called to stay and build. We are endeavoring to build here a place of legacy.

It is an altar. It is the place where my children were saved and began to follow the Lord. It is the place where lives have been changed, marriages formed, healed and restored. It is the place where I renewed my vows to my beloved husband. It is the place where I went to seek the Lord, again and again and again. It is the place where I have seen miracles. The place where Lena walked. Hundreds of babies have been dedicated. It is the place of corporate worship, sacrifice, prayer, instruction in God’s Word, healing, deliverance and salvation. It is the place of tears of sorrow and tears of joy. Prayers of waiting and answered prayers.

WE visit it again and again not only to worship, but to remember what God has done. You help build it every time you show up and worship, you build when you invite others to come and see that the Lord is good; you build when you serve, give your tithes and offerings, allow the Lord to change your life; you make FVC a holy place and build her up for the next generation

May it stand for generations as a place where all people remark- God is in this place!