Genesis #11 - The Gospel According to Abraham #1 - "Covenant Grace Pt. 1" (Gen 11:10-12:9)

Well, it's our custom here at Redeemer to work our way, passage by passage, through books in the

Bible. And we've been out, well, we started Genesis at the beginning of the year, we took a break to look at some other things, and now we are returning back to Genesis as we start a new series that I've called

The Gospel According to Abraham. I've called this

The Gospel According to Abraham because while Abraham is really the central human character we're going to follow from chapter 12 through to 25 of Genesis, really the story's not about Abraham per se.

Ultimately, it's about God and his faithfulness in the life of Abraham, even at moments where Abraham is anything but faithful.

And so we come back to our study in the life of Abraham, and we're going to pick it up in chapter 12 this afternoon.

And really, we'll briefly look at the end of chapter 11, but the focus of our time will be chapter 12. So if you have a

Bible, and I hope you do, please turn with me to Genesis chapter 12, Genesis chapter 12 and verses 1 through 9.

Genesis chapter 12 and verses 1 through 9. If you grabbed one of the red hardback

Bibles that we give away at the welcome table, it's on page 9. And by the way, if you want one of those, they are yours to take and to keep, so please help yourself.

Genesis chapter 12 and verses 1 through 9.

It's our custom here at Redeemer that we stand for the reading of God's Word when it comes to the sermon, so if I can invite you to stand.

Genesis chapter 12, beginning in verse 1 and reading through to verse 9.

Brothers and sisters, these are God's words. Yahweh said to Abram, So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him, and Lot went with him.

Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew

Lot, all the possessions he had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan.

Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem, at the Oak of Morah, at the time the

Canaanites were in the land. Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, To your offspring

I will give this land. So he built an altar there to Yahweh who had appeared to him.

From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.

He built an altar to Yahweh there, and he called on the name of Yahweh. Then Abram journeyed by stages to the

Negev. The gospel is the flower fades, but this word of God will abide forever. Join with me as I pray, ask for the

Spirit's help, and we come to this message in God's word. Well Heavenly Father we would ask that as we open up your word now, you would speak to each heart, that you would open our eyes, that we would see wonderful things out of your law.

May your Spirit be at work, helping us to hear a better word than that which is preached, as he takes the truth and writes it upon our hearts.

We ask all these things in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. Please be seated. Well as I said we are beginning this new series that we are calling

The Gospel According to Abraham, and I'm kicking off this new series this afternoon with part one of a message that I have called

Covenant Grace. Covenant Grace. Since we've been out of Genesis for quite a while,

I think it was about March time that we put, well it was about the summer actually, that we put a pin in Genesis.

I thought it would be good for a moment to kind of reintroduce Genesis to us, just to bring us all to speed.

Some of you weren't here when we started that series. We're glad you're here. And so for a moment, like to just kind of bring you up to speed of where we are in the book of Genesis.

So for a moment let's talk about Genesis so far. So we've touched chapters 1 through the first nine verses of chapter 11.

And really that covers what you could call primeval history, the beginning of history as we know it.

Easy way to remember what happens in Genesis 1 through 11, you've got four big events that happen.

So you have creation in chapters 1 and 2. You have the fall and its effects in chapters 3, 4, and 5.

You have the flood narrative that really covers chapters 6 through 8, and the effects of the fall narrative in 9 and 10.

And then we have the Tower of Babel incident beginning chapter 11.

So that's where we've been so far. That series is called Foundations. If you go to either our website or our

YouTube channel, you can catch up with the messages in Genesis 1 through 11. We are coming to the second part of the book of Genesis where the focus shifts from what we could call primeval history, the beginning of history, to patriarchal history.

Patriarchal is a word that's not very popular these days. All we mean by that is it's the history of the patriarchs, these fathers of the nation of Israel.

And so where you had four key events in Genesis 1 through 11, you've got four key people in chapter 11 right through to the end.

So we're going to be looking at Abraham, and as you can see, that's going to cover 11 right through to 25. We'll look at Isaac's life in 25 and 26.

Jacob in 27 to 36. And then finally Joseph in 37 to 50, where we're actually reading in our

Scripture readings at the moment. You'll remember, those of you who were here for that very first message in Genesis, that I said that if you were to sum up the book of Genesis into one sentence, it would be this, that despite the failure of God's covenant people,

God's purposes and plans will come to fulfillment, not through the faithfulness of others but the faithfulness of God.

Let me say that again. Despite the failure of God's covenant people, God's purposes and plans will come to fulfillment not through the faithfulness of others but the faithfulness of God.

That was what we called the melodic line, the theme that runs through this book we call Genesis and we're going to see that particular theme play itself out in the life of Abraham as we walk through this series.

We're going to see that theme play out in so many rich ways and I think ultimately we will see the grace and the goodness of God shown to Abraham.

As we look at Abraham we'll be able to see some of how it is that God deals with us.

That's why I've called this series the gospel according to Abraham. So that's my really lightning review of Genesis but we're coming to a narrative and we're coming to a narrative about a particular person and the temptation may be to just kind of just open up Genesis chapter 12 and start reading but we need to take a moment before we come to the text proper to talk about how we handle biblical narratives because if we don't handle biblical narratives well what will happen is we'll read this and we'll either come away with the wrong impression or we'll come away saying

I didn't get anything out of that because we're expecting things from the text that maybe the text aren't isn't excuse me designed to do.

So for a moment let's talk about understanding Old Testament narratives. When we read biblical narratives which what we're about to read in the story of Abraham I would argue that if this is like a journey and we're traveling on this journey if we're not careful we can slide off into one of two ditches when it comes to the narratives of the

Bible and I think especially for people like me who have the privilege of preaching God's Word regularly we more than anyone find ourselves in danger of falling off into one of these two ditches.

So for a moment I want to kind of identify those ditches and kind of give something of a helpful set of instructions for reading

Old Testament narrative when we come to it. So if there are two ditches what are they?

What are they? The first one I've just called it's all about me in my life.

This is when biblical narratives turn into moral examples alone. Biblical narratives turn into moral examples alone.

Now key word here is alone. It might be a controversial point with some but I do not believe that it's a deficient view of the

Old Testament. I don't think you're reading it wrong. If you read the Old Testament and you ask the question okay is there something

God wants me to learn from the example of these people? I don't have time to read it but if you're taking notes

Romans chapter 15 verse 4 Paul says that the scriptures are given for our learning for our instruction.

First Corinthians chapter 10 verse 11 he says that these things and he's talking about Old Testament Israel he says these things happened as examples which

I had time to unpack that verse and all it has to say but suffice it to say if we have a problem with using the

Old Testament or reading the Old Testament and getting moral instruction from it then there are whole parts of the Bible that you have to throw out.

So I just alluded to first Corinthians chapter 10 Paul uses the example of the sin of the nation of Israel and says don't sin like they did to the

Corinthians who kind of were sinning like they did. The author to the

Hebrews does this in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 he looks at the exodus generation and he says to his audience listen they were unable to inherit because of their unbelief that can happen to you so keep on believing.

You see it again in chapter 11 and in chapter 11 these examples of faith that are used to bolster the faith of God's people.

James chapter 5 James says that we are to learn from the patience of Job as you look at the patience of Job you're supposed to learn something from that.

So you get my point I hope that the Bible uses moral examples to teach that's not what

I talk about when I mention this here what I'm talking about is when we take these examples and we make moral instruction the sole point of a biblical narrative.

So it's not so much okay I'm looking to learn from Abraham's example or I'm looking to learn from David's example or any other example it's when you say the only thing that this is good for is moral instruction and I'll say that there's two dangers that comes with that first of all it promotes a very self -centered way of looking at your

Bible. I mean if you've grown up in church like I have you've all heard the sermons about David and Goliath which basically turned

David and Goliath into your personal story you're David Goliath is your problem and whatever tools you use to fight your problems are your five stones so use your five stones wisely anyone heard those sermons if you've been in church for any length of time okay that's how not to read your

Old Testament it's a profoundly me -centered way of looking at it never mind what the human author and more importantly the divine author had to say never mind the fact that that really wouldn't have crossed the author's mind when he wrote this no no no if you kind of take a bad view of reading

Old Testament narrative you'll read the Bible with you as the hero all the time not you as the one who needs saving kind of leads my second big issue with that which is it misses the fact that these narratives are smaller scenes in the grand narrative of redemption so all of these people that you read about all of these events that you see happen

God is using them to teach us something about his plan of redemption as one author puts it

God doesn't just write history with words he writes it with people and with events and so as you look at these events in the

Old Testament if you merely make them kind of moral examples well you're going to miss out the fact that ultimately this book is not about you but this book that we hold is a book that is ultimately

God's self -disclosure his self -revelation about himself proclaiming who he is and what he has done in redeeming a people by himself for himself and for his glory so that's the danger when we read biblical narratives as moral examples alone but I think in reaction to that what can happen is some people say what it's not about that therefore problem number two it's all about Jesus sort of biblical narratives as types alone so whereas one side basically says it's all about me with basically me learning things about Abraham or whatever biblical character the other side says no no no no no no it's not going to give you any sort of moral instruction at all it's all about Jesus kind of sort of in some ways now

I want to be clear I do believe that the whole Bible bears witness to the redemptive work of God in Christ I do believe that the whole

Bible does so either in preparing us for Jesus or in proclaiming Jesus I also believe that the

New Testament tells us explicitly that there were types and shadows in the Old Testament the substance of which is found in Christ so if you read the

Bible and you don't get the sense that this Bible in some way shape or form is always pointing us to Christ I would highly recommend you read it again and read it properly that's all being said here's the danger that I think

I'm talking I'm trying to get to here it is all too easy for us to read biblical narratives ignore what's happening in those narratives ignore the clear lessons that are being given to us in those narratives and to basically say how do

I get to this text how do I get to Jesus from this text ignoring what is said by the text itself the text just becomes a springboard for getting to Jesus I think that can be an unhelpful way of reading the

Bible I think wait did you just say it's unhelpful to look for Jesus in the Bible no not what

I said what I'm saying is that it is all too easy to read biblical narratives to ignore what's actually happening in that narrative and what

God is trying to teach in a well -meaning but slightly misguided pursuit to make this text talk about Jesus when it's doing more than just that I mean the dangers with this

I think are kind of obvious for one thing in the most ungodly way that this can be done it kind of turns the

Bible into the divine equivalent of a code book you know only a few people with the right initiate knowledge and skills can detect you know where Jesus is kind of like playing where's

Waldo with Jesus in the Old Testament it kind of like you have to be really good at seeing small details and us regular people who have to work hard to read things that we can't look

I think that's not a healthy way to approach scripture secondly I think it flattens the shape of biblical revelation

God revealed the Bible in real time in real settings with real people and to kind of just flatten the

Bible I think takes the power out of scripture to a degree

God didn't just if think about the Bible was simply just a recitation of the gospel and a recitation of how to get saved the

Bible doesn't need to be this big but God in his providence allowed history to play itself out with particular events with particular people with particular moral instruction and we have to be wise and discerning in yes not making it all about moral instruction but not throwing that out entirely kind of leads to my third problem which is that if 2nd

Timothy 3 16 says that scripture is given to us for instruction for training in righteousness where else will we learn best that training in righteousness that instruction in righteousness then from the walk of those good or bad who have walked before us and so I wanted to start there for a moment because I want to measure expectations when it comes to this series if you've come expecting me to give you a bunch of moral instruction you will at times be disappointed because I might not do that but if you've come to this text expecting me to just say well that's what it says but really it's just talking about Jesus well you might want to be a bit more responsible in how we do that let's be clear we will see much about Christ we will see much about the grace of God we will see much about the gospel as we look at the life of Abraham let's be clear but if we don't have our expectations rightly measured if we don't negotiate the road as it were so we don't slide off into one of these ditches we'll actually miss out on some great instruction from the word of God well with that in mind all of that was introduction let's come to Genesis chapter 12 finally

Genesis chapter 12 here I just want to ask a question simple question what does this text

Genesis chapter 12 that we're going to look at what does this text have to teach weary pilgrims like us who are looking for the grace of God who are looking for deeper and greater assurance well

I'm glad you asked I'll put it to you that Genesis chapter 12 teaches us that God's relationship with his people is founded on covenant grace that's my big idea for this message that God's relationship with his people is founded on covenant grace that God enters into covenant relationship with his people and that is how we come to experience his grace well for the rest of our time this afternoon

I want to consider three glorious truths about covenant grace three lessons we learn about grace from these opening words in the life of Abraham that should help us to find assurance and to help us find hope in our walk with the

Lord so three lessons I'll do my best to be brief first of all consider with me the fact that covenant grace is grounded in real promises covenant grace is grounded in real promises before we get to chapter 12

I need to take a moment and finish off chapter 11 so we're going to look at chapter 11 10 through 32 very quickly this is going to be a very brief point but it's still worth exploring for those of you who've been reading through Genesis this is the third time in Genesis when you come to Genesis chapter 11 verse 10 the third time you have a listing of family names and family records now because I love you all and it's later in the day

I intentionally didn't have us read that long section with a bunch of names but I encourage you to read it in your own time but while there's a lot of names and numbers in this opening section in chapter 11 don't lose sight of the fact that these names and these numbers are here for a reason in fact whenever you read

Genesis you should always ask yourself when we get to a section in Genesis why is this section of Genesis here well all you have to do

I would argue is to look at what came before it so chapter 11 1 through 9 is the story of the tower of Babel the dispersion of the nations the fact that rather than obey

God's word we said that man is to be fruitful and multiplying to fill the earth people wanted to stay together and God said okay if that's the

I will separate you myself and so God separates the nations in chapter 11 1 through 9 and if you're reading the story carefully you're supposed to read that and ask yourself the question okay if the nations are now dispersed and they're all separate from each other how is the plan of God that we've already seen mentioned in Genesis chapter 3 and in Genesis chapter 9 or chapter 8 and in chapter 9 how are we going to see this plan unfold if all the nations are scattered well here's the beautiful thing sin once again has introduced a complicated situation

I mean doesn't always in the life of the people of God just like the first sin with Adam just like the sin that led to the flood just like the sin that led to Babel just like the sin that you and I grapple with sin has led to some devastating consequences because here's a lesson sin is never without consequence but just because sin is never without consequence doesn't mean that sin is not without or not with cure excuse me or sin is without cure sin might catch us off guard but it doesn't catch

God off guard yes the nations rebelled against God and decided that they were not going to separate so God had to judge them and do it himself but God already had a plan in motion

God had already made a promise remember back in Genesis 3 15 that a seed that the woman would give birth to a seed the seed that would one day crush the head of our enemy the devil well

I would argue Genesis chapter 11 10 through 32 long list of names that it is what this section does is it shows that God's great promise marches on that he focuses his promise through delivering them through the flood bringing them to this point and now you have

Shem verse 10 who basically becomes the father of a line and it's through this line that God's promises will be fulfilled through Shem himself and recipient of an inspired blessing in chapter 9 and ultimately through this man

Abram that we're about to meet these promises are made with real people in real time and so chapter 11 verses 10 to 32 if you read it rightly ought to teach you that God is still at work that his promises are real and his people can trust his promises even when men fail before we move on to chapter 12 there's one little detail we need to deal with so look with me at chapter 11 verse 31 chapter 11 verse 31 it says

Terah took his son Abram his grandson Lot Haran's son and his daughter -in -law Sarai his son

Abram's wife and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan but when they came to Haran they settled there they think okay what what's the detail we need to deal with there well this text says that they went to the

Abram and his father and his father's house went from where they were in Ur of the

Chaldeans and they go to the land of Canaan here's the thing multiple times in the bible it says that the call of God that we're going to read in chapter 12 in just a few moments that the call of God didn't come to them in Haran it came to them in Ur so Genesis chapter 15 verse he also said to him

I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land in the book of Acts Stephen says in Acts chapter 7 he says brothers the

God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran so hold on how did

Abraham move from Ur of the Chaldeans to here but we pick up the story in chapter 12. I bring this up because you'll meet some people who are more clever than they should be they'll read this and see contradiction in the bible the bible says this happened here but here it says this happened that's a contradiction in terms well

I've put a little quote there in the study guide if you picked one up the long and short of this is Abraham was still with his father when the call came and Genesis is not trying to be strictly chronological at this point he's with his father this call from God comes that we're going to read in chapter 12 but he doesn't immediately obey it again

I will leave you to read that long quote there but again I want to take a moment and think about that because you'll meet people who will bring up a passage like this but let me get back to my main point that's my technical moment over for a second don't get distracted by the main point of this section in Genesis 11 that covenant grace is grounded in real promises that God's promises are real and that he brings them about even when men fail all right we can come to chapter 12 proper now that's the first lesson that we learn from this text that covenant grace is founded in great promises but secondly

I want you to note with me here covenant grace creates relationship covenant grace creates relationship chapter 12 verses 1 through 3 if that first point was relatively short here we might be a while and in fact so much so that I'm actually going to come back to these verses next week and we'll deal with them in much more detail for now

I just want to focus on one simple aspect of this passage in chapter 12 verses 1 through 3 which is that God's grace creates relationship and I'm going to add something here with unlikely people that God's grace creates relationship with unlikely people to understand this from when we just talk about this idea of covenant in the

Bible covenant big word appears in the Bible multiple times first time in Genesis chapter 9 with God's dealings with Noah covenants in the

Bible are very simple a covenant in the Bible is a number one binding agreement so there is a agreement that has some teeth to it this isn't just a handshake deal as it were a sort of like we would say a verbal contract no this is a binding agreement secondly it's made between two parties you've got two different groups with two different sets of interests third it involves an oath a solemn promise and fourth the promise is that one or both of them will keep their word in relation to the thing that's being discussed that's what covenant is like I said

I kind of rushed through that because next week we'll come back and look at the covenant with Abraham in way more detail but I bring that up because what you see here in chapter 12 like I said it's the foundation of what's called the

Abrahamic covenant God's relationship that he enters into with Abraham and here that I think there are some tremendous lessons to be learned about relationship with God so pick it up with me in chapter 12 and verse 1 here's the first thing we learn letter a there when you're studying

God initiates relationships with sinful people that's the first thing we see in this passage do you know in verse 1 it says

Yahweh the Lord said to Abram that's important it's

God who calls out to Abraham God doesn't wait for Abraham to reach out to him no

God is the one who initiates God is the one who extends his gracious hand first you've already seen that happen in Genesis over and over again so when

Adam and Eve sinned remember who was the one who went looking for Adam and Eve when they hid God is the one who did that when the curses of the fall are handed down it's

God who makes the first pronouncement of hope in Genesis 3 15 before the flood it's

God who reaches out to Noah we have no indication in the passage that Noah was looking for God or reaching out to God after the flood it's

God who establishes his covenant with Noah not the other way around can

I take a moment and just apply this for a second I don't know about you but I think that's something that should prompt us to have a moment of praise for our

God can we praise God for the fact that he doesn't wait on us as it were to get our act together before he reaches out isn't it a joy to know that as Jesus said in John chapter 15 verse 5 you didn't choose me but I chose you isn't it a joy to know what first John 4 10 says that love consists in this not that we loved

God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins isn't it good to know that God's grace doesn't need an invite it creates its own invite we can praise

God that he initiated that relationship with Abraham because if he hadn't done that you and I wouldn't be sitting here not only do we learn that God initiates relationships with people secondly

God calls us to a to an exclusive relationship God calls us to an exclusive relationship so look at the rest of verse one

Yahweh said to Abraham go from your land from your relatives and from your father's house to the land that I will show you

God lays out pretty clear terms you are to leave your land the physical location you are at you are to leave your relatives the people who are closest to you you are to leave your father's house not the physical building his father lived in but it's just a reference to the household and most importantly the inheritance that came as being part of that household everything that gives you security

Abraham you are to leave that behind and to follow me God was now going to become

Abraham's exclusive provision all ties to all that he had known needed to be cut and think about this for a moment kind of hit me this week and I was studying this

Abraham's not a young man when God says this to him he's about 75 years old at least in our culture that's kind of I'm slowing down I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor age that's not

I'm starting over again I mentioned it in the first point but Abraham wasn't looking for God either he was an idol worshiper this wasn't your nice granddad doing his quiet time every day and helping uh saintly old ladies to cross the streets of err as it were this was a man who was a pagan and God calls him away from all of that God essentially says that there is no room for one foot in life as he had known it and one foot uh in life as God was now framing it there was no room for any of that and I think it's interesting this is a point of personal application

I think it's interesting please follow me here I think it's interesting that sometimes we think and I know

I've thought this before so maybe it's just me but I've thought this before that we think that we can have God and all of his benefits and keep everything that we want even if and sometimes especially if it doesn't fit with what

God is calling us to have you ever thought about that sometimes you meet some people and it's like you've got one foot in the world one foot in the things of God and you can't make up where you are

I'm more inclined to be with the great puritan Matthew Henry when he said the world and our enjoyments in it must be looked on with an holy indifferent and contempt we must no longer look upon it as our country or home but as our in and must accordingly sit loose to it in other words don't hold it too tightly and live above it and get out of it in affection now let me be clear

Christian your salvation is not conditioned from your separate on your separation from the world this is not a work salvation message

I'm trying to preach it only Jesus saves us from our sin not your separation from the world but here's my point of application if you enter into a relationship with God it's going to come with a decisive break with the world as you know it so we've seen that God initiates relationships with sinful people we've seen that God calls us to an exclusive relationship thirdly you see in this passage that God is lavish with his gifts in relationship to his people

God is lavish in his gifts in relationship to his people so look at verses two and three

God has issued this call to Abraham verses two and three he says

I will make you into a great nation I will bless you I will make your name great and you will be a blessing

I will bless those who bless you I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you like I said

I won't deal in detail with all of these we'll deal with that next week when we talk about the covenant with Abraham in much more detail for now

I want once again just to see a principle here well a couple of them first of all probably caught this when we read it five times in verses two and three

God says I will so let me read it again I'll try and emphasize it verse two

I will make you into a great nation I will bless you I will make your name greater you will be a blessing

I will bless those who bless you I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you five times

God says what he is going to do for Abraham and these are not small promises think about this a nomad is told that he's going to inherit a land we'll talk more next week about what that land looks like it's huge a pagan was brought into relationship with God a relative nobody would come to have a great name a man who technically should be worthy of contempt because he's an idolater would not only be revered but anyone who showed contempt for him would themselves be cursed through this man all the nations would ultimately be blessed and I want to park on that last one for a moment because it's through this man another man will be born a man who

Matthew chapter one tells us was born in the line of Abraham a man who would live the perfect life he would die the death that all sinners deserved a man who would rise from the grave to be seated at the right hand of God ruling and reigning forever beloved think with me on this for a moment do you think that even for a moment

Abraham had any conception of this when God called him if God had limited himself

I mean God can't be limited be just for the sake of language you get what I'm saying if God had limited himself just to Abraham's salvation that would have been mercy enough but that's not how

God works is it I think it's one of the great principles we get from this passage that that's not how

God's grace works let me see how let me show you excuse me how this applies to you keep something here in Genesis chapter 12 tell me to Ephesians chapter one let me show you something in Ephesians one

Ephesians in chapter number one let me show you something in verses seven and eight here

Genesis chapter one and verses seven of not Genesis chapter one

Ephesians chapter one and verses seven and Paul is laying out the great blessings that we've been blessed with in Christ and in verse seven he says let's pick it up there in him in Christ we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ as a plan for the right time to bring everything together in Christ both things in heaven and things on earth verse seven do you catch that language there that God gives us redemption through his blood and it says it's according to the riches of his grace if you're this grace that he richly poured out

I think it's the English standard version that says that he lavished on us I think we just sung about that didn't we

Christian do you understand that when God extended his saving grace to you that when

God called you to be one of his that he gave you as it were a deposit of incredible spiritual wealth yes your pockets might be low in this life but I'm inclined to remember a hymn from when

I was back in the UK the last line of it says blessings on blessings through ages unending covenant mercies in glorious flood ours is a hope that no mortal can measure brought in by Jesus and sealed in his blood you might not be a somebody as the world reckons it but I believe it's your chorus that says all the love that sought you all the love that bought you all the grace that brought you to the fold wondrous grace that brought you to the fold if God has called you into relationship with him you might not have much materially when

God calls Abraham Abraham kind of doesn't have anything in fact he's about to go to zero he's going to leave everything and start over but if God has called you into relationship with him

Christian you might not have much materially but you have more wealth than Elon Musk Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg combined with grace like that it's no wonder that Abraham he might have been slow in his response but when this call comes and I have have reason to believe that this call doesn't come just once but this call comes to him and he responds like he does kind of leads us into the third and final truth

I want to consider this afternoon covenant grace is grounded in real promises covenant grace creates relationship thirdly covenant grace motivates faithful obedience covenant grace motivates faithful obedience verses four through nine so verse four so Abram Genesis chapter 12

I'm gonna go back there verse four so Abram went as Yahweh had told him and lots went with him

Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran he took his wife

Sarai his nephew lots all the possessions he had accumulated and they the people he had acquired in Haran and they set out for the land of Canaan isn't it fascinating that God didn't have to browbeat he didn't have to threaten he didn't have to scold

Abraham to produce obedience sometimes if I can pause for a moment we can think that the way in which we get people to obey and get people to do the right thing is if you get to basically browbeat and scold and keep telling them the same thing over and over and over again even though they heard you the first time

I think we learned a principle here that God doesn't have to scold and browbeat

Abraham to bring about obedience all he has to do is to remind Abraham to bring his word to bear on Abraham and Abraham responds in obedience but not only does

Abraham respond in obedience he responds in worship did you catch that so jump down to verse seven with me he passes through the land of Canaan in verse seven it says

Yahweh appeared to Abraham and said to your offspring I will give this land so he built an altar there to the

Lord who had appeared to him he builds an altar an act of worship an act of giving back to God who has clearly given to him not to try and gain something from God but in gratitude and in faith saying

I believe you in what you have said and here's the thing that as I was studying this on Friday and Saturday the thing that got me at this point

God has not given Abraham the land yet and actually spoiler alert

Abraham is going to die before he gets to take possession of the land but Abraham's response is not

God give it to me and then I will give back to you Matthew Henry again

I think kills it he says an active believer can heartily bless God for a promise the performance of which he does not yet see and build an altar to the honor of God who appears to him though he does not yet appear for him

Abraham has not seen the promise all he's done is heard about it and yet his response is one of faithful obedience he goes and he sets up this altar to the

Lord who had heard him and as he goes through the land he's constantly offering these sacrifices even though he couldn't see it faith had essentially said

Lord I believe you and I rejoice even though I can't see it doesn't that sound familiar

I believe it's first Peter some guy preached first Peter around here back in the summer um

I believe it was first Peter chapter one somewhere around verse eight Peter says that though you do not see him referring to Jesus you love him though not seeing him now you believe in him and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy none of us have seen

God and none of us have seen Jesus and yet we worship and we love and we adore this one just like Abram did who has whom we have never seen it produces obedience it produces worship and in a lot of ways this is where Abram's journey with God is going to begin in a lot of ways is where our journey with God often begins our journey with God often begins with him speaking

I believe in the effectual call the fact that God speaks to the soul of his elect and he causes spiritual life to appear where there was one spiritual death

God speaks his word into us and as he speaks his word to us and we come alive we respond in repentance and faith in a way the beginning of Abraham's journey with God and the beginning of our journey with God is not that much different is it if you stop and think about it ultimately they both begin in the same place

God reaching out in his grace and creating a relationship where there was none with unlikely sinners

I would be remiss if I didn't close this sermon I never want to assume that everybody who's here physically is here spiritually so to speak

I don't want to assume that everybody who is here has heard the good news we've alluded to it a number of times in the message let me make it explicit

God entered into his own creation the creation that he had made that was good and was perfect but was marred by sin he enters into his own creation in the son the son unites to himself a human nature in addition to his divine nature he lives among us he obeys

God's law perfectly where we had failed to do so he lives in our place and then the penalty of sin that we should have paid he dies for us and in doing so he calls us to simply rest and to receive and to trust in what he has done and the bible says that for every person who believes on him they have not they will have they have everlasting life and so I would be remiss if I didn't end our time together by saying if you don't know the

Lord Jesus if you have not experienced this covenant grace what are you waiting for come to him and like Abraham and like countless others who have followed

Abraham in faith down through the ages find in our triune

God rest for your soul and heavenly father we thank you so much for the grace that you have poured out on us in Christ thank you that father your grace creates relationship that we who did not know you who had no relationship with you or to you can now know you and can now have eternal life

Lord I pray that you would strengthen us in that message you would encourage our hearts in that message that we would never lose sight of the fact that we have covenant grace bestowed upon us because of your son and our savior