Friday, May 5, 2006

By Faith... Abraham - Part I, Part 34 of 56

TEXT: "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8).

IDEA: Abraham changed the world by his allegiance to one God.

PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate the contribution that Abraham made to the history of the world by his commitment to one God.

Do you think many people have heard of Abraham?

Do you think most people know who he is?

Thomas Cahill, in his book The Gifts of the Jews, mentioned that although many people have heard of Abraham, most people do not recognize the significant part he played in history. Would you agree with that assessment?

I. Abraham is recognized as the first monotheist.

What is a monotheist?

How important was being a monotheist in Abraham's life?

He may not have been a pure monotheist at the beginning. No place does he suggest that the other gods don't exist. But he committed himself completely to the Lord.

He moves deeper and deeper into that choice until the close of his life with his willingness to sacrifice his son on Mount Moriah.

II. So what? The implications of his commitment to one God are profound.

God became the center of his life.

Why does having only one God instead of a constellation of gods requiring only an occasional ritual of appeasement, make a great difference for Abraham and those who follow him?

How does having one universal God affect our ethical behavior?

Loyalty to one God who governs means that His laws are binding on you wherever you are.

They are binding on everyone else.

Abraham's God not only cared about Abraham but about his children and his grandchildren.

What does that do in our concept of time?

History may repeat itself in some ways, but how does the idea of a concept that there is one God whose hand is on history affect something like hope?