Walking in Faith: Abraham’s Obedience and its Relevance Today #preaching

The NJ Podcast

Walking in Faith: Abraham’s Obedience and its Relevance Today

Let's imagine you're on a road trip. You've meticulously planned your route, dotted your Is, and crossed your T's. But as you're driving, your GPS suddenly instructs you to make an unexpected turn. Confused and uncertain, would you follow its guidance? Today, we're going to explore a similar experience in the life of Abraham and its implications for our own journey of faith.

The scripture that underpins our sermon today is from Genesis 12:1 (NIV): "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.'"

1. Abraham's Call and Obedience: Abraham was instructed to leave everything familiar—his country, his people, and his father's house. Yet he did not hesitate or negotiate with God. He packed up his family and his belongings, and he embarked on a journey to an unknown destination simply because God told him to (Genesis 12:4-5). This obedience was credited to him as faith.

2. Abraham's Faith in Promises: God promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. Despite having no child at that time and his wife Sarai being barren, Abraham believed God's promise (Genesis 15:5–6). His trust in God was not dependent on his circumstances but on the One who made the promise.

3. Abraham's Faith Tested: The pinnacle of Abraham's faith journey was when God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. This was the son through whom God had promised to fulfil His words to Abraham. Despite the seeming impossibility of the situation, Abraham's faith did not waver, demonstrating that his confidence was in God and not in the promise (Genesis 22:1–18).

Abraham's Legacy and Our Walk of Faith: The life of Abraham teaches us that walking in faith means trusting God's directions even when the destination is not clear, believing in His promises despite our circumstances, and keeping our faith in God even when our understanding is limited.

The writer of Hebrews affirms this when he says, "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)

Let's bow our heads in prayer:

"Heavenly Father, we thank You for the example of Abraham's faith. Help us to trust in Your guidance, believe in Your promises, and maintain our faith in You regardless of the circumstances. May we walk in obedience as Abraham did, fully assured that what You have promised, You are able also to perform. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen."

As you leave this place, may the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). Let the faith of Abraham inspire you to trust in God's perfect plan for your life, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. God bless you all.