PURSUED: “A Promise Bigger Than You”
RECAP:
Week 1: Adam Hides. God Searches.
Week 2: Humanity Falls. God Provides A Way Through The Storm.
Week 3: God pursuing a people, so that through those people, He can rescue the world.
Genesis 12:1-3, “The Lord had said to Abram,“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
FAITH THAT MOVES. FAITH MOVES BEFORE IT HAS THE MAP.
Abraham left everything he knew, everything that was familiar, to step out in faith and trust where God was leading him. Because of Abraham’s willingness to surrender and step out into the unknown, God was able to use him to be the father of an entire nation. How many of us has God asked to do simple things (when compared to leaving everything we know) and we still ask for all the details in advance? What is something that God is asking you to do to step out in faith today? Do you have a time in your life that you did step out in faith before you had the map? How did you get to see God move through your faithful obedience? Is there an area of your life right now where God is asking you to step out in faith? Take time today to pause and get quiet with God to listen to where He might be wanting to stretch your faith. What is He speaking to you?
Even though we see Abraham as a pillar of faith in how he left everything to obey God, he was still human and flawed. Where Abraham trusted God to leave everything and follow Him, when it came to trusting God to protect himself and Sarah when they went to Egypt, Abraham failed. This was not his only failure of faith, as we will see a bit later. And yet, Abraham is known for his great faith. Let this be an encouragement to you, that moments of doubt, of stepping out of alignment with God’s will do not define you. It is what you do after that, to return to dependence upon God. Have you seen how this is true in your life? Do you struggle with believing that you could be considered faithful because of a misstep in your past? If so, take time to journal your thoughts and talk to God. Give Him time to respond and meet you where you are to encourage you that your faults do not define you. It is His grace and love for you that defines your identity in Christ.
FAITH THAT WAITS. FAITH THAT DOES NOT CREATE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS. FAITH RESTS IN IT.
Faith waits, faith rests. What does that mean to you? God promised Abraham a nation when he did not even have a son. Abraham most likely waited well at the beginning, but eventually he began to second guess the promise. That second guessing, along with Sarah in his ear, led to Abraham taking matters into his own hands, trying to control the process. Where have you grown weary in the waiting? Have you, like Abraham, second guessed how God would come through on the promise and tried to control the process? Take some time to discuss what it looks like to trust God with both the promise and the process with a trusted Christian friend or small group. What one step can you take to move forward in trusting God in the waiting today?
We have talked about relationship the past couple of weeks. This is one tool at our disposal that can help us grow into people who have faith that waits. When we have trusted friends to whom we can bring what God has promised, they can help direct us back to the promise giver before we jump into the wrong process. Godly, fruit producing, Christian friendships will help to be the guardrails that keep us on the path of waiting and resting, instead of second guessing because those friendships will not only pray for and with us, but will consistently direct us back to Scripture for guidance. Last week you were asked about building these types of friendships — have you made any forward progress? Do not give up. Continue to seek out those people that God is consistently bringing across your path, asking Him to direct you to the people that He has for you.
FAITH THAT SURRENDERS EVERYTHING.
Genesis 22:1-2, “Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Abraham waited all those years for that promise, tried to make it happen on his own, and finally God’s timing brought the promise to fruition. And then, God told Abraham that he needed to give back the promise. Wow. What would you do in a similar situation? Do you think that you would be able to reconcile being asked to give up what you were just given? Abraham’s faith in God was so steadfast that his only response was surrender. What are some alternative responses that you might have in this situation? Why do you think it was so important for Abraham to respond the way that he did? Have you thought about how God wants to know that the gifts and promises that He gives us are not more important than the Gift Giver (God)? Take some time to sit with what must have been running through Abraham’s mind and how he responded, and compare it to what your response might be. Discuss with a trusted Christian friend or your small group.
Genesis 22:3, “The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.”
Immediately. Did you catch those words, “The next morning..” Abraham did not wait for confirmation, did not hem and haw and try to bargain, he simply obeyed. His faith in God was so confident that Abraham did not hesitate. Where do you need a little more faith like that in your life? Where is God calling to you act but you are delaying for one reason or another? Why? Discuss with your small group or a trusted Christian friend and as you take steps to develop a faith that is displayed through immediate action.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT. GOD’S PROMISE TO YOU MAY NEVER HAVE BEEN ONLY ABOUT YOU.
Abraham was called so “you will be a blessing to others.” God didn’t call Abraham only for his family. God called Abraham to be the beginning of salvation for all people of the world. We never know what impact God’s promise in our life might have in the lives of those around us, or even in the lives of people we may never meet. With God, we need to learn to expect the unexpected. Have you seen the ripple effect happen in your life, or the life of someone you know? What might have happened if that person had not stepped in to what they were called to do? Can you think of how your life might be different? Take some time to meditate on this and share in your small group. Ask God to reveal things to you that perhaps your spiritual eyes may not have been open to see in the past.
Could God be calling you to be the pebble that causes the ripple effect in the lives of those around you? What promise are you clinging to that could be bigger than you? Think of some ways that you can steward that promise well. How can you take what we have learned this week about Abraham and faith and put that into practice in your own life over this next week? If you haven’t, take some time to read over the Scripture we covered this week and select one verse or passage that resonates with your spirit to memorize and serve as a reminder of how faith moves before it has the map. What move is God waiting for you to make? Take some time to get quiet with God and ask Him to help you grow in awareness of the next step He is calling you to take and how to rest in faith.
Scripture References for this week:
Genesis 12; Genesis 15; Genesis 17; Genesis 22; Romans 4; Galatians 3; Genesis 11:4; Hebrews 11:8; James 2:22; Genesis 21; John 1:29; Romans 8:32; Genesis 3:29; Psalm 78
