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    Story of Abraham

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    Lyn
    The document provides an overview of the story of Abraham from the Bible. It discusses how Abraham struggled for many years to understand God's promise that he would father a great nation, as his wife Sarah suffered from infertility. Though the promise was not immediately fulfilled, Abraham continued to have faith in God and believed God would fulfill what He said. The document emphasizes that God's promises are true and will come to pass, even if the present circumstances do not yet reflect the promise. Believers are called to have faith in God as the promise maker and keeper during times of waiting for fulfillment, as Abraham did.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Story of Abraham

    Uploaded by

    Lyn
    469 views5 pages
    The document provides an overview of the story of Abraham from the Bible. It discusses how Abraham struggled for many years to understand God's promise that he would father a great nation, as his wife Sarah suffered from infertility. Though the promise was not immediately fulfilled, Abraham continued to have faith in God and believed God would fulfill what He said. The document emphasizes that God's promises are true and will come to pass, even if the present circumstances do not yet reflect the promise. Believers are called to have faith in God as the promise maker and keeper during times of waiting for fulfillment, as Abraham did.

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    The document provides an overview of the story of Abraham from the Bible. It discusses how Abraham struggled for many years to understand God's promise that he would father a great nation, as his wife Sarah suffered from infertility. Though the promise was not immediately fulfilled, Abraham continued to have faith in God and believed God would fulfill what He said. The document emphasizes that God's promises are true and will come to pass, even if the present circumstances do not yet reflect the promise. Believers are called to have faith in God as the promise maker and keeper during times of waiting for fulfillment, as Abraham did.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    469 views5 pages

    Story of Abraham

    Uploaded by

    Lyn
    The document provides an overview of the story of Abraham from the Bible. It discusses how Abraham struggled for many years to understand God's promise that he would father a great nation, as his wife Sarah suffered from infertility. Though the promise was not immediately fulfilled, Abraham continued to have faith in God and believed God would fulfill what He said. The document emphasizes that God's promises are true and will come to pass, even if the present circumstances do not yet reflect the promise. Believers are called to have faith in God as the promise maker and keeper during times of waiting for fulfillment, as Abraham did.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 5

    Story of Abraham

    The other week: We learned that we hear God’s voice when we press in to His
    promises and refuse to let go. (Wrestle)

    Abraham
     While he did not wrestle with God like Jacob, he did struggle for many years
    with hearing and understanding God’s voice as related to the gap that existed
    between God’s promise to Jacob and its fulfillment.
     Genesis 12:1-3 (Promise)
     It took 20 years between God’s promise to Jacob and its fulfillment. For
    Abraham, it was much longer than that.

    Walk through in Abraham’s life


     As his his faith grow and his ability to hear and understand God also
    increased.
     As we listen to Abraham’s story, consider the journey of faith that God has
    invited you to take.
     Abraham’s life gives us a picture of how we ought to manage our lives in the
    “meantime”. Meantime is the living in the between God’s promise and the
    fulfillment of it. During this meantime, it is also where we are called to walk
    our faith.

    Abram’s picture of God’s Promise


     Genesis 12
     God called Abram. He told him to go to a place that he knew nothing about.
    But He assured Abram that as He wen, God himself would make Abram into a
    great nation. (there were other promises that we’re given but focus on this)
     God hadn’t changed Abram’s name yet. Abram meant “exalted father”.
    Abraham means “father of a multitude”.
     In the OT, names were linked to destiny, if Abram understood anything, it
    was that he was destined to be a father.
     But Abram dreams did not come true immediately. Abram was married to
    Sarai who suffered infertility.
     Why was Sarai Infertile? If God intended to make a nation out of Abram.
     Was God messing with Abram?

    God doesn’t mess with you


     If God has given you a picture anchored in a promise, he will not heckle you
    with it. God intends to do what He has promised.
     Job 42:2 (The plans of the Lord will not be thwarted)
     God changed the name of Abraham and Sarai (meant princess) Sarah
    (princess of a multitude).
     If there’s any heckling going on, you can be sure that God is not behind it. It’s
    the enemy who tries to deceive us with lies. Messes with the truths in our
    heads (ex Story of Eve)

    Hearing the voice of God


     Many times we hear the voice of God clearly.
     The things he tells us sync up perfectly with the desires He planted in our
    hearts. But because our present circumstances don’t reflect what we heard,
    and our hearts are breaking over the gulf that exists between what we heard
    and the reality of what we’re living with, we let the heckling of the enemy
    drown out the voice of God. Rather than stand firm on what we know we
    heard, we question and fret and get all confused over what does not make
    sense.
     The waiting period is sure to be infested with hecklers. But no matter how
    much those voices of darkness heckle you, stand firm on the fact that it
    makes no sense at all for God not to keep His word to you. If you are tempted
    to think that God has let you down- that in your particular situation He will
    prove unfaithful – Stop right there and take it to the cross. Why would God,
    who proved his love for you by sending His very own Son to die a cruel death
    on the cross, set you up to expect great things from Him just to let you down?
     He won’t. Romans 8:32
     Therefore, stick to what you heard God say. Hold tight to it.

    God is no less God in the stories we hear in the Bible and in our present life.
     It’s easier to see God’s hand in the biblical heroes we learn because we
    already know the completed story of their lives.
     Remember – God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
     God is still writing our stories. – Let him paint it for you.
     If you’re going to trust God to paint the picture, step away from the canvas.
    When your idea of what ought to be happening doesn’t come about, you
    might be adding details to a work of art that God is capable of completing on
    his own. God is not obligated to fulfill your plans. His plans are the one’s He
    promised you.

    Back to Abraham’s Story


     After God gave the promise to Abraham, he had probably expected that Sarah
    will give birth. They anticipated her pregnancy. After all, to father a nation,
    he’d have to father a child. But every month Sarah remained barren.

    Exercise:
    Each group member is given a piece of paper. Encourage each one to list something
    they long for God to do in their lives. Let’s put on paper what’s in our hearts. Discuss
    the promises that God has given you related to what you wrote, if there’s any.

    All God’s promises are YES!


     2 Cor 1:20
     God speaks boldly through His word.
     The Bible graciously gives us promises galore.
     Every one of God’s promises are faithful and true.
     Question is, do you take the time to claim them as your own?

    Abram
     Abram understood that God had given him a “word”.
     Abram heard God’s word, so he walked in daily awareness of God’s promise
    and in expectation that God would make good on His word. But as he walked,
    he encountered various trials.

    Abraham’s Response
     Genesis 15:2-3
     Paraphrase: “Lord, I know that you are my shield and I want to know that
    you are my very great reward, but a long time ago you promised e that you’d
    make me a father of a nation. And yet today- after ample time for you to give
    me some children- I still don’t have any. What about that promise, Lord? Are
    you still going to make good on that one?
     Genesis 15:4-5 – God’s response
     If you are tired of waiting, if you are serving God faithfully, and if you walk in
    humility in relationship to God and to others in the meantime, then consider
    getting honest with God. Tell God how you feel and what bothers you most in
    between the waiting of the Promise and the present reality.
     Genesis 15:6
     Abram took God at His word. He trusted and believed.

    The Biggest Trial of All – Taking Matters into His own Hands
     Sarai came up with a plan to “help” God out
     Disobedience and Compromise

    When God’s word Remain the Same


     Genesis 17:1-2
     Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. 13 years by. Then when
    Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and spoke again.
     Walk with me and be blameless = God is serious about our sins. He
    completely tells us to pursue holiness.
     The reason why we have such a hard time hearing God’s voice is that we
    want Him to bless our namby-pamby faith walks. We are not serious enough
    about honoring His holiness to pursue holiness in our everyday lives. In fact,
    we’re more concerned about what He is or isn’t doing to bless us than we are
    about what we are or are not doing to Honor him.

    Abram
     After God rebuked Abraham. God reconfirm His covenant with Him.
     God’s promises did not disappear. It means His promises are not contingent
    on our ability to impress Him. God doesn’t necessarily reward us when we’re
    good and punish us when we’re bad. He simply gives us an abundance of
    promises rooted in His own character, goodness, and passion for us, and He
    makes good on them based on His own merit.
     That doesn’t mean we can excuse ourselves from living lives pleasing to Him.
     We are expected to strive toward Holiness. But even if we fail, God doesn’t
    dismiss us but instead rebukes us and reconfirms His commitment to us.
     Genesis 17:5
     Genesis 17:17-18

    Exercise:
    Underline these verses in your Bible
    2 Cor 1:20
    Psalm 145:13
    Number 23:19

    2 Cor 1:20
    How many promises are YES?
    Amen means “so be it”. When we say “so be it” to the promises of God, what do we
    do?
    When do our lives reflect God’s glory more? When things are going well, or when
    things are not going so well and we are shouting, SO BE IT until it is good?
    Remember, all God’s promises are yes!

    Psalm 145:13 (The last part: The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving
    toward all He has made)
    How many promises is the Lord faithful to?
    What is God’s attitude toward all that he Has made?

    Numbers 23:19
    Will God ever lie to you?
    Does He ever change His mind regarding His promises to you?
    Does He say He’ll do something and fail to do it?
    Does He ever NOT keep a promise He’s made to you?
    How can we know that God will keep His promises?
    He tell us He will because he is a PROMISE KEEPER.

    Genesis 15:6
     What happens if the promise of God is no longer believable because of the
    present circumstance?
     Abraham shifted his focus from the circumstances and zeroed in on the
    Person who had the power to do what He promised. Faith flooded in. He
    received. He gave himself up to the God’s word. He let God deliver the
    promise at the appointed time, he received it.
    Embrace God the PROMISE KEEPER
     Romans 4:18-22
     “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
     Abraham is the father of our faith because he walked with God through thick
    and thin and grew to recognize that God had power to do what he had
    promised.
     Abraham suffered the longing that came with living on the unfulfilled side of
    his destiny, he grew iin his relationship with God. Rather than turn his back
    on God, he turned his face toward God.
     Invest your grief, your longing and your hope and confidence in the PERSON
    of GOD.

    What is happening in your life that causes you to doubt God? How might you
    “reason in your mind” that God will come through for you in that situation?

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