1 00:00:00,300 --> 00:00:02,400 I'm giving Matt my name is arshad and I'm one of the 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:07,700 pastor's here at reality and I'm excited to continue this series 3 00:00:07,700 --> 00:00:12,800 with you on Walking with God, and we just believe that there's 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,300 nothing greater than a human can do in their life than to walk 5 00:00:17,700 --> 00:00:22,000 with God. And what we want as a community 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:28,000 and for you individually is for God, to have your attention and 7 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,800 then we talk about walking with God. 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,900 God, we want us to pay attention and forgot to have our attention 9 00:00:33,900 --> 00:00:38,400 for what he wants to say to us and how he wants to direct us. 10 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:40,300 Amen. Amen. 11 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:44,300 And so the person's life as you heard from the text that we're 12 00:00:44,308 --> 00:00:50,000 going to be looking into is Abraham and this is and also the 13 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,900 name Abraham was the name of Arnold's. 14 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:59,600 Fish on Different Strokes. I know it's all random. 15 00:00:59,900 --> 00:01:03,000 If you've never seen the show, you should watch it, it's a 16 00:01:03,008 --> 00:01:05,800 great show, it's good, it's great, it's amazing. 17 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,400 Anyways, anyways, Abraham from the Bible, the father of many 18 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,000 nations and so I'm his journey began at the end of chapter 11 19 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,400 in the beginning of chapter 12 and Genesis. 20 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:25,500 And it says in chapter 12 that Abraham was 75 years old. 21 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,600 Old and so fast forward to today's text and Genesis 17 22 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:37,900 Abraham is now 99. So we're talking a 24 year 23 00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:41,900 period from when God first appeared to Abraham to this 24 00:01:41,900 --> 00:01:49,700 appearance now in Genesis 17 and so 24 years between the time in 25 00:01:49,708 --> 00:01:53,100 which God spoke his promise to Abraham. 26 00:01:53,100 --> 00:01:58,500 And so so like Noah ha Abraham has been responding to what he 27 00:01:58,500 --> 00:02:03,000 knows about God, he doesn't have a Bible, he doesn't have a rabbi 28 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,900 or a pastor in his life, he just, he's heard, God, speak and 29 00:02:05,900 --> 00:02:10,000 he's been following those instructions and that's all that 30 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,400 he knows. And it's taken him from his 31 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,200 home, in the ER, of the Chaldeans on a journey to a 32 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,500 place called Canaan, which is the land of promise, which is 33 00:02:19,500 --> 00:02:23,100 the place of which God says, I'm going to multiply your family 34 00:02:23,100 --> 00:02:24,100 and they're going to be great here. 35 00:02:24,100 --> 00:02:26,400 They're going to outnumber the sand on the seashore they're 36 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:32,800 going to outnumber the stars in the sky and so Abraham left 37 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:38,200 everything because God showed up and said go Guys showed up and 38 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:43,600 said, go, I have something for you and for generations to come. 39 00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:49,100 Some of us are here right now because God said, go got to have 40 00:02:49,100 --> 00:02:51,800 something for you in the city, I have something for you. 41 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,900 In New England, some of you have heard a call from God and you've 42 00:02:56,900 --> 00:03:00,300 been trying to respond ever since. 43 00:03:01,100 --> 00:03:05,900 And for 24 years, Abraham has been in this in-between space. 44 00:03:05,900 --> 00:03:07,900 He's been the space. Um where God promised him 45 00:03:07,900 --> 00:03:11,900 something in 24 years where he hasn't fully, how has it really 46 00:03:11,900 --> 00:03:18,600 come close to experiencing what God has called for him that he's 47 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:25,400 been waiting and waiting and he's been often trying to take 48 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,500 things to his into his own hands and so trying to have a 49 00:03:29,508 --> 00:03:32,700 descendant from someone not his wife. 50 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,400 And what we find out in his life is in the life of minis is 51 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,300 there's a thin line between trusting God for your future and 52 00:03:39,300 --> 00:03:43,500 trying to do it yourself. Anybody. 53 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:50,700 Because the promise of physical descendant that will come 54 00:03:50,700 --> 00:03:55,900 between Abram and Sarai was basically impossible. 55 00:03:55,900 --> 00:03:59,800 They, they were, they were old, like, really old like, ninety 56 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,500 nine and ninety, and they were Beyond childbearing age and we 57 00:04:03,500 --> 00:04:07,300 will we find out later in scripture, is that Sarai was 58 00:04:07,300 --> 00:04:10,500 Barren. And so, yeah. 59 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:14,200 God was calling him into a future that seemed physically 60 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:18,200 impossible. And understand on. 61 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,399 Here's what we understand about who we know about Abraham is 62 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:22,800 that Abraham is new to new to following God. 63 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,600 First for 75 years. He followed other gods and he 64 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,600 didn't know anything about the God who created heavens and 65 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,000 earth, all that he knew was that this God that we read in the 66 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:39,000 Bible called him to follow him. Abraham knew that God gave him a 67 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:44,200 promise, but he didn't know if God could do it. 68 00:04:45,700 --> 00:04:50,400 All he did was trust the voice that he heard and and followed 69 00:04:50,900 --> 00:04:57,600 he just went and as we enter, our passage today in verse 1, 70 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,900 God makes a grand appearance and this was way before the Jay-Z 71 00:05:03,900 --> 00:05:09,100 song were were, basically God says, allow me to reintroduce 72 00:05:09,100 --> 00:05:14,600 myself. Some of y'all got that I had to 73 00:05:15,500 --> 00:05:20,000 How to all right, every time I read the first niggas like like 74 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,600 God is saying that will allow me to reintroduce myself, to you 75 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:27,500 Abram, you know, who I am. God tells Abraham and first one, 76 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,400 he's the God almighty. He's El Shaddai. 77 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,500 Somebody here needs to hear that. 78 00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:39,800 He is the god almighty. Like, when we say, God, we 79 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,500 worship and we say, oh God, we're seeing your God Almighty, 80 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:47,300 your El Shaddai when God Appears in scripture when he appears 81 00:05:47,300 --> 00:05:49,900 those, he's saying I'm a mighty God. 82 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:54,700 I really don't want you to miss this introduction because it's 83 00:05:54,700 --> 00:06:00,000 important because God often reveals Parts about himself that 84 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,800 we need the most in the moment in which we need it. 85 00:06:04,300 --> 00:06:09,100 Abraham needed an El Shaddai and God was saying you had a promise 86 00:06:09,100 --> 00:06:11,400 from me but you need to know that I can do it. 87 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:13,300 I'm not, you know, I'm not Shaddai. 88 00:06:14,100 --> 00:06:17,800 It's been 24 years since you first heard that word in 24 89 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:19,900 years later you just been traveling and journeying. 90 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,400 And Not seen or experienced what I told you but I'm El Shaddai. 91 00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:26,400 I wish I had someone here at a man. 92 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,800 Me right now. Amen. 93 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:34,300 God Here's what one scholar says, about this word, El 94 00:06:34,300 --> 00:06:37,100 Shaddai. El Shaddai when used of God, 95 00:06:37,100 --> 00:06:42,300 refers either to his ability to supply abundantly, the Abundant 96 00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:47,200 one, and to his Majestic strength, the almighty one. 97 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,900 And so, God is showing up saying, I can supply all your 98 00:06:50,900 --> 00:06:53,200 needs. I'm the Abundant one. 99 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:58,100 If you're weak, I have strained. I'm the Majestic one. 100 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,200 As you follow God, you begin to understand who God is. 101 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:09,700 As you be as you go, God reveals himself to you as you move 102 00:07:09,700 --> 00:07:14,900 forward with him. Abraham discovers that he is 103 00:07:14,900 --> 00:07:18,600 el-shaddai after 24 years of being in weakness and not being 104 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,500 able to fulfill things on his own. 105 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,300 I wish I had somebody in here that would get that was catching 106 00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:28,500 this. God reveals himself to you. 107 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:36,000 As you move along you might have experienced him as Savior when 108 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,100 you first began to believe and now you, then he wants you to 109 00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:43,000 experience him as provider. He wants to experience him as 110 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,700 strength, and it comes along the way in our life. 111 00:07:45,700 --> 00:07:49,000 And when we find those moments, when we say God, I need you to 112 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,900 be strengthened this moment. El Shaddai. 113 00:07:53,900 --> 00:08:01,000 God knows the longing and Abrams and Sarah's heart the longing 114 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,800 for a child to where it's a pressure point in their 115 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,700 marriage. The pressure point in their 116 00:08:05,700 --> 00:08:09,200 relationship and it's also a pressure point in a tension in 117 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:15,200 their relationship with God and God knows what he's able to do. 118 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:21,300 And he wants Abraham to know, I can provide I'm not just willing 119 00:08:21,300 --> 00:08:26,300 but I can provide amply, I can move mountains, scheme, Abraham 120 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:30,800 knows that God is willing. He just needs to know and trust 121 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:37,700 that God is able God is not limited to time or circumstances 122 00:08:38,700 --> 00:08:41,600 and I'm saying a lot right now and I need, I've maybe I want 123 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,200 you to not miss that God is not limited to time or 124 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,900 circumstances. Some of you have been waiting or 125 00:08:49,900 --> 00:08:52,200 longing for something for a very long time and hasn't happened. 126 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,800 And you think that it's that time is limiting to what God can 127 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,500 do. It's not you might think you're 128 00:08:58,500 --> 00:09:01,500 in a circumstance that seems impossible improbable for 129 00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:02,600 something good to come out of it. 130 00:09:02,608 --> 00:09:05,600 And guys I'm not limited to that circumstance. 131 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:11,300 Now limited to that time but what God is limited by is our 132 00:09:11,300 --> 00:09:18,100 unwillingness to trust him. James 4 says you have not? 133 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:23,100 Because you ask not. Roman says that the just shall 134 00:09:23,100 --> 00:09:27,800 live by faith. Hebrews says, it's impossible to 135 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:32,900 please God without faith. Jesus on his triumphal entry. 136 00:09:32,900 --> 00:09:36,300 Comes to Jerusalem. He said, oh, how I wish that I 137 00:09:36,308 --> 00:09:39,900 could gather you up but you were unwilling. 138 00:09:42,100 --> 00:09:44,800 I had so much for you to experience. 139 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:49,100 I wanted to show you the kingdom here and now, but you were 140 00:09:49,100 --> 00:09:57,100 unwilling to be gathered. Why, why is this so important 141 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:02,900 because God works along relational lines and what he's 142 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:06,100 forming and cultivating in the life of Abraham and Sarah during 143 00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:12,700 his journey is a relationship. They and they are at a pivotal 144 00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:16,300 point in their relationship and I believe that God is saying 145 00:10:16,300 --> 00:10:18,000 right here. Do you trust me? 146 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,700 Do you believe that I can? And I will do what I said that I 147 00:10:23,700 --> 00:10:25,700 would do. Do you believe that? 148 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:29,400 Not only am I willing, but that I can and I will finish what I 149 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:33,700 started even at. The ripe old age of 99 Abram. 150 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:39,600 This is what he says in the end of verse 1, in the verse to walk 151 00:10:39,700 --> 00:10:43,000 before me faithfully and be blameless. 152 00:10:43,500 --> 00:10:46,600 Then I will make my Covenant between me and you and will 153 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:51,400 greatly increase your numbers. Abraham is called to walk 154 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,500 before. And with God, we talked about 155 00:10:54,500 --> 00:10:58,200 this word, walk and Hebrew haluk. 156 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,200 It's a little better, it's a little better my Hebrew. 157 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:05,000 And here's what one commentator says, obviously God. 158 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,200 Not telling Abraham to physically walk before him, but 159 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,600 to continue spiritually to direct his life in such a way 160 00:11:11,900 --> 00:11:16,100 that he will receive, all that God had promised to him. 161 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:22,100 God has made a promise. God has made a covenant with 162 00:11:22,100 --> 00:11:24,900 Abraham. He says your part is to walk. 163 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,900 Your part, is the walk with me faithfully and blamelessly does 164 00:11:28,900 --> 00:11:32,300 that mean that Abraham shouldn't will never make a mistake? 165 00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:35,900 No, it means that Abraham will make mistakes but that his heart 166 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,500 is single-hearted, and that he had means, he's that, he's heart 167 00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:45,700 is fully devoted to God. That word blameless. 168 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:48,000 It's used The Exodus in the word. 169 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,700 Refers to a perfect, sacrifice without blemish. 170 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:58,500 It was a call for integrity. God is saying to Abraham using 171 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:00,800 the sacrificial language to Abraham. 172 00:12:01,300 --> 00:12:08,300 Give me your whole heart. Give me your whole heart and you 173 00:12:08,300 --> 00:12:11,600 will enjoy everything. I have for you because if you 174 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,700 give me your whole heart, ultimately you will have God. 175 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,700 You tell him in Genesis 15, I am your exceedingly great reward. 176 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,900 Jesus says seek first, the kingdom and all these things 177 00:12:25,900 --> 00:12:29,800 will be added on to you. In other words, don't seek the 178 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:32,000 promise, seek the one who makes the promise. 179 00:12:32,900 --> 00:12:34,500 Come on somebody. Bit out there. 180 00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:37,300 That's response worthy. That's a response for that 181 00:12:37,300 --> 00:12:40,600 Twitter worthy right there. Don't just seek the promise. 182 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,200 Seek the one who makes the promise. 183 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,500 Don't just seek his hands, his face. 184 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,100 He's telling Abraham right now. Like, yeah, I have something for 185 00:12:49,100 --> 00:12:50,400 you, but don't miss the point, man. 186 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,800 The point is to be with me. And you can have 24 years of a 187 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:56,900 baby every year without me, that's meaningless, but if 188 00:12:56,900 --> 00:12:59,200 you're 24 years with no baby but you with me, you have 189 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:05,300 everything. This requirement of bullying 190 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:09,500 being blameless and Walking with God means live in my presence 191 00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:15,100 and be devout. We can get so caught up in where 192 00:13:15,100 --> 00:13:18,200 we want to go and how we want God to use us. 193 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,200 And we can miss the point that God wants us. 194 00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:26,900 The God wants us to want him. Okay. 195 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:29,700 This is one of my favorite quotes in this whole book is 196 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:33,100 called secrets of the secret place and it says this God wants 197 00:13:33,100 --> 00:13:36,500 to walk with us before he works through us. 198 00:13:37,100 --> 00:13:40,300 So he will wait to act until he finds the right man or woman 199 00:13:40,500 --> 00:13:42,700 through whom he can work to pull it bluntly. 200 00:13:42,700 --> 00:13:46,900 God works with his friends. He doesn't decide what he wants 201 00:13:46,900 --> 00:13:49,100 to do and then start looking for someone to use. 202 00:13:49,300 --> 00:13:52,500 He looks for a man or woman and Once he finds him or her, he 203 00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:54,800 then decides what he wants to do with them. 204 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,100 For example, God didn't choose Noah because he wanted to send a 205 00:13:58,100 --> 00:14:00,900 flood. God had the freedom to send the 206 00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:04,500 flood because he had found a man to walk with God. 207 00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:07,800 Always starts by finding a friend first. 208 00:14:08,100 --> 00:14:10,500 When God has a Noah, he can do a flood. 209 00:14:10,700 --> 00:14:14,400 When God has a Joseph, he can give Pharaoh a Divine dream when 210 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,400 God has a Moses. He can plan mightily Mighty 211 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,600 Deliverance for his people when God has no Elijah, he could send 212 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,700 fire from. Heaven when God has a Samuel, he 213 00:14:22,700 --> 00:14:25,100 could test God's heart when God has a Jesus. 214 00:14:25,100 --> 00:14:28,100 He can save the world o beloved. Learn to walk with God. 215 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,800 This opening of God's introduction, says it all 216 00:14:35,100 --> 00:14:36,900 Abraham. Don't stop walking with me. 217 00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:43,500 God is revealing himself to Abraham as the all-powerful one 218 00:14:43,500 --> 00:14:46,900 but says first and foremost I want your heart Abraham and 219 00:14:46,900 --> 00:14:52,100 here's Abraham response, he bowels down and not not a 220 00:14:52,108 --> 00:14:54,300 Curtain Call at the end of a play. 221 00:14:54,300 --> 00:15:01,700 Like, knees, hands face to ground Abraham bowels down and 222 00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:03,500 out of reverence. Yes. 223 00:15:03,700 --> 00:15:08,800 But also I believe this was an act of saying God, you now even 224 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,600 more. So have my heart. 225 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:21,000 God, you You have my trust. It's all about our response. 226 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,600 God doesn't want our faith and our trust to be a one-time 227 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,700 isolated event. God says, walk with me. 228 00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:31,600 He wants us to keep coming to him. 229 00:15:32,300 --> 00:15:37,300 He wants our dependence on him. He is, heart is for us, and he 230 00:15:37,300 --> 00:15:41,200 wants to know that he that we that he can have our hearts. 231 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,600 This is this is this is a story of devotion. 232 00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:50,700 And the reason why devotion is important because God wants a 233 00:15:50,708 --> 00:15:56,000 relationship. God is devoted to us and he's 234 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,400 saying, I want you to reciprocate that back. 235 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:07,200 As you as you go and continue to put your trust in God you are 236 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:13,700 simultaneously becoming his friend and I know that we've all 237 00:16:13,700 --> 00:16:16,000 been given different pictures and description of what God is 238 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,200 like and how God relates to human beings. 239 00:16:19,900 --> 00:16:24,100 But James 223 says, Abraham believed God and it was counted 240 00:16:24,100 --> 00:16:26,400 to him as righteousness. And he was called a friend of 241 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,900 God. You know, is you're holding 242 00:16:29,900 --> 00:16:31,700 song. I'm A Friend Of God. 243 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:41,700 Gosh that God wants a relationship with. 244 00:16:41,700 --> 00:16:45,400 The, he's saying walk. Before me walk with me because I 245 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:48,400 have things to share with you. Jesus said, I want to give you 246 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,600 the secrets of the Kingdom, giving you the keys to the 247 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:51,300 kingdom. He does. 248 00:16:51,500 --> 00:16:54,900 Who do you do that with friends on a break bread with? 249 00:16:54,900 --> 00:16:56,100 You want to sit on a table with you? 250 00:16:56,100 --> 00:16:58,900 I have things and plans for you. I don't want you to do. 251 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,200 Doing stuff. That's so disconnected for me 252 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,500 and my heart. I want to do it with you. 253 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,200 You might be go. You might have never had this 254 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,300 kind of relationship with the god. 255 00:17:10,300 --> 00:17:12,500 I haven't seen God do anything in my life. 256 00:17:12,500 --> 00:17:17,000 In a long time that I'm not experiencing what I expected to 257 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,700 happen. I'm not experiencing my life 258 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:23,400 right now. What I expect to happen from God 259 00:17:24,900 --> 00:17:27,599 when God gives us a promise. Here's here's what I believe 260 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:29,600 that he wants us to respond at snow. 261 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:34,800 It's already done. For instance, have you ever had 262 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:39,400 someone ever told someone you trusted that's shown up in your 263 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,600 life promised? You something like I'm gonna 264 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:46,100 take you to Cancun, right? Like something in your heart and 265 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:48,400 your mind maybe you're right. But if I trust him and I 266 00:17:48,408 --> 00:17:51,200 believed them they've always like big good on their word. 267 00:17:51,500 --> 00:17:54,600 I begin to respond as though. I'm already in Cancun. 268 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,800 Come on somebody. Let's go winter breaks coming. 269 00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:08,700 Come on. and when God gives a promise, To the response that 270 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:10,500 he's longing for us for us to see. 271 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:13,500 I have yeah, but I trust in your character, in your person I'm 272 00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:15,800 gonna respond as though. You've already done it. 273 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:20,200 Talks about Abraham in Hebrews 11. 274 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,200 Listen to this by faith Abraham when call to go to a place, he 275 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:28,800 would later receive as an inheritance obeyed and went even 276 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:33,200 though he did not know where he was going by faith, he made his 277 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,900 home in the promised land Like a Stranger in a foreign country. 278 00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:40,600 He lived in tents as did Isaac and Jacob who were heirs with 279 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,900 him of the same promise for he was looking forward to the city 280 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:47,400 with foundations whose architect and Builder is God. 281 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,300 Won't you listen to two words in this passage obeyed and went? 282 00:18:55,700 --> 00:19:01,800 Simultaneously, he obeyed and he went sometimes you don't know 283 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:03,400 where you're going until you get there. 284 00:19:05,500 --> 00:19:07,100 And for some of us that's really hard. 285 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,500 He didn't know how God would accomplish what he said, he was 286 00:19:12,500 --> 00:19:15,600 going to do. He didn't know where he didn't 287 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:20,500 know how, he didn't know when it's been 24 years and he didn't 288 00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:23,600 know why. God calls. 289 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,200 And why, why this land? Why why me why? 290 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,000 At this age? You didn't know he just obeyed 291 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:34,800 and went Abraham has seen enough of God, he's experienced enough 292 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,800 of God, he's know everything about God but he's experienced 293 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,600 enough of God where he know that he wanted a world in which God 294 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:44,900 was at the center of it. And how do we know this? 295 00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:47,000 We know this because he never turned back. 296 00:19:49,900 --> 00:19:53,600 If you look at Genesis 12, when God first calls him, you hear 297 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,500 words like this. He went, he traveled, he set 298 00:19:56,500 --> 00:19:59,500 from there, he went down, like, you look at every line. 299 00:19:59,500 --> 00:20:02,200 Abraham keeps going. He doesn't know where he's 300 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:03,400 going. He doesn't know why. 301 00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:04,800 He doesn't know when he will get there. 302 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:06,700 He doesn't, he doesn't have the details. 303 00:20:06,700 --> 00:20:09,300 All he knows, he heard a voice and he's responding to his. 304 00:20:09,300 --> 00:20:14,200 I'm gonna go. And as he goes as he's going, 305 00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:17,000 God is revealing himself to him. I know she died. 306 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:26,300 One commentator says this God's call to Abraham demanded total 307 00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:30,500 restructuring of his lifestyle. He left his own civilization, a 308 00:20:30,900 --> 00:20:34,600 for foreign land. He left a place of culture to 309 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,700 move to the backward home of Wanderers. 310 00:20:37,100 --> 00:20:40,100 He left his home to take up residence in a tent. 311 00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:43,800 He left stability for the uncertainty of travel and Ever 312 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,900 Changing circumstances. He left the security of an 313 00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:50,600 established code of laws to wander afraid. 314 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,200 And from Until and he left a long tradition of worship of 315 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,600 gnana, the Moon, God for The God Who had spoken to him. 316 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:02,400 But whom he, he did not yet. Really no leaving. 317 00:21:02,500 --> 00:21:06,400 Her was an Act of Faith and making this difficult decision. 318 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:12,800 Abraham exhibited a unique, Trust And this is what God is 319 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,500 saying In This Moment, Abraham need you to continue to trust 320 00:21:15,500 --> 00:21:18,800 me. It. 321 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,100 Maybe you need to hear that today. 322 00:21:21,100 --> 00:21:23,300 Maybe God, I said you need to continue to trust me. 323 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,700 The promise from God from chapter 12. 324 00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:32,600 To now, 17 was 24 years and by all accounts, it looks like 325 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,200 Abraham does nothing to show for it, except the loss of all 326 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,500 things. And I just want to say in every 327 00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:43,500 journey and walk with God, there comes a point in our lives, 328 00:21:43,500 --> 00:21:48,900 where we go, God's ways are not my ways, my ways are not 329 00:21:48,900 --> 00:21:54,400 working, God, I need you, and it's in those places where God, 330 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,200 It's forms us and reveals himself in a way that we need 331 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:04,500 most. Because by our own doing, we 332 00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:07,900 would try to like I want to, I don't want to go that route. 333 00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:11,500 I don't want to go that route with my deepest need meets God 334 00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:13,100 because I don't want to have a deep need. 335 00:22:15,500 --> 00:22:20,000 Anybody. This is the place for Abram 336 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,700 finds himself. And now he's ready to move 337 00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:27,500 forward with God. Verse 5 says no longer will you 338 00:22:27,500 --> 00:22:30,000 be called Abram? Your name will be Abraham for. 339 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:31,900 I have made you a father of many nations. 340 00:22:31,900 --> 00:22:34,500 I will make you fruitful very fruitful. 341 00:22:34,700 --> 00:22:37,200 I will make nations of you and Kings will come from you. 342 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,800 God changes, his name because God has changed Abram. 343 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,300 Abram. His name means exalted father 344 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:55,000 that speaks to his dad that name Looks To The Past Abraham means 345 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:59,300 father of Nations. His name implies a look ahead to 346 00:22:59,308 --> 00:23:04,100 his descendants. God is saying you are no longer 347 00:23:04,100 --> 00:23:06,400 about your past and where you come from. 348 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:11,000 You are now being named by what is I'm going to do in your 349 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,200 future. Some, you going to catch that 350 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:19,500 later, okay? I Envision that going way 351 00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:20,000 different. Okay. 352 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,200 Anyways What commentator says this, why did God change their 353 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,600 names as a symbol of their change? 354 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,700 Status? Abraham was now living under 355 00:23:29,700 --> 00:23:34,400 God's covenant blessings, and Sarah was now God's princess 356 00:23:34,700 --> 00:23:36,800 destined to be the mother of Israel. 357 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,100 They had gone from Baron to blessed and then the ancient 358 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:44,800 context in which they live, such a change call for brand new 359 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:49,500 names from Baron, who from Baron to blessed. 360 00:23:51,100 --> 00:23:54,800 We see Jesus do this with Peter calls Peter and he says, now 361 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,500 your name is Rock. When he spoke Jesus says that he 362 00:23:58,500 --> 00:24:04,900 goes to build the church with you, your future with God, is 363 00:24:04,900 --> 00:24:06,600 this? You have a new name, you're no 364 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,600 longer your former person Revelation to says, this River 365 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,000 has ears. Let them hear what the spirit 366 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,600 says, to the churches to the one who is Victorious. 367 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,300 I will give some hidden Manna. Also, I will also give that 368 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:23,100 person a white stone with a new name, written on it known only 369 00:24:23,100 --> 00:24:30,500 to the one who receives it. For some of us here walking with 370 00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:37,000 God means going forward in newness of life, and what God 371 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:43,700 has said about, you not the labels of the past, but what God 372 00:24:43,700 --> 00:24:48,300 is calling you into with no turning back. 373 00:24:48,900 --> 00:24:52,200 God calls, Abraham, the father of Nations at 99 years old with 374 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,600 with a wife with no children and nothing on the horizon. 375 00:24:55,700 --> 00:24:57,800 Then he says no, you're a father of Nations. 376 00:24:59,100 --> 00:25:02,000 Not not the Label Society gives you not your job title. 377 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,200 Not none of that. What God calls you is? 378 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,500 Who you are and Who you calling you to walk into? 379 00:25:07,900 --> 00:25:12,600 his name is a reminder of who he was being called into, who he 380 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:19,100 was called by, And here's here's the linchpin, he had to receive 381 00:25:19,100 --> 00:25:24,100 his name. He got, he had to agree with God 382 00:25:24,100 --> 00:25:29,000 and go, you call me Abraham. I'm an I'm going to let people 383 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,000 call me that and I'm gonna respond to it. 384 00:25:34,300 --> 00:25:38,000 By accepting his name Abraham. He was saying, God, I'll walk 385 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,700 with you. You have named me, you've given 386 00:25:41,700 --> 00:25:45,100 me purpose you'll give me value. He's saying my future is in your 387 00:25:45,100 --> 00:25:48,700 hands so I'll give you my present right now church God has 388 00:25:48,700 --> 00:25:52,700 a name for you. You are beloved your beloved 389 00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:58,400 Sons. You were beloved daughters when 390 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,000 you when you realize that when you walk into it, you know what 391 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:06,500 you get you could God Get a guy with open arms that you get out, 392 00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:09,000 you get a when you accept it. That's when you move from 393 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,000 unwilling to willing and that's when you begin to experience. 394 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:20,200 God, you experience God when you trust him El Shaddai. 395 00:26:21,900 --> 00:26:28,600 All sufficient all powerful God that nothing's too hard for a 396 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:33,300 God that nothing's too hard for. Nothing. 397 00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:35,900 A God that nothing is too hard for. 398 00:26:39,100 --> 00:26:41,700 Like, when you get that from your head to your heart even 399 00:26:41,700 --> 00:26:47,400 though nothing's changed, everything's changed. he tells 400 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:53,400 Abraham 12 times in this passage, I will 12 times, 401 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:56,900 passage walk with me. I will walk with me. 402 00:26:56,900 --> 00:27:01,900 I will walk with me. I will And God said to Abraham, 403 00:27:01,900 --> 00:27:04,700 do I have your? I will, he trembles Italian. 404 00:27:04,700 --> 00:27:06,400 Lord. You have my, Will you you have 405 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,100 my heart? You have my future. 406 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,700 That's good. God completes what he starts God 407 00:27:15,700 --> 00:27:20,400 is saying, I will take care of your family, your name will live 408 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,100 on everything. I promise you will. 409 00:27:23,100 --> 00:27:26,100 Come trust me. Walk with me. 410 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:32,800 He's a God who makes promises and a God who sees them through. 411 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:36,700 Jesus said how much more will your father in heaven? 412 00:27:36,700 --> 00:27:39,300 Give you the Holy Spirit if you ask him? 413 00:27:42,300 --> 00:27:46,900 Last quote, Pastor John ortberg says this who you become while 414 00:27:46,900 --> 00:27:51,100 you're waiting is at is as important as what you're waiting 415 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:55,700 for. Church reduced. 416 00:27:55,700 --> 00:27:59,700 We need a faith that endures the test of life and the test of 417 00:27:59,700 --> 00:28:02,400 time. And this is what it means to 418 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:04,900 walk with God. Amen. 419 00:28:05,500 --> 00:28:06,100 Amen. Let's pray.