Monday, April 3, 2006
By Faith... Abraham - Part I, Part 11 of 56
TEXT: "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 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. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 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. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense' " (Hebrews 11:8-19).
IDEA: The people of faith are not without flaws.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that those whom God works with are at best very imperfect people.
Do you think of yourself as a saint?
When people think of a saint, what comes to their minds?
I. In Hebrews 11 there is a section about a man named Abraham. What do you notice?
What do you notice about Hebrews 11:8-19?
Abraham gets a lot of space, 12 verses. That is in contrast to other heroes of the faith.
Many in this honor roll of faith get only a single verse or sentence.
Moses, the great leader, gets six verses.
Why do you think Abraham gets all that space?
Abraham is the biblical hero of faith.
He is mentioned more than any other Old Testament person in the New Testament.
II. Abraham, this hero of faith, was a very flawed person, but he was acceptable to God.
He did some dishonorable acts.
On two occasions he was willing to sacrifice the honor of his wife to save himself from possible danger.
Yet God accepted him because of his obedience that came from his faith.
