CHRIST DESIGNED A NATION FOR YOU

 CHRIST DESIGNED A NATION FOR YOU

                                                Gen 12:1-3

12 Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee.

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great. And be thou a blessing. 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse. And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

He established Faith as the Foundation for the nation

Heb 11:1  Now faith is assurance of (things) hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.

God spoke the world into existence by His faith  Hebrews 11:3

God was in no hurry in developing a  nation for His family to reside in. He is

In no hurry in developing a nation of believers in Him. A day is as a 1000 years to the Lord and a1000 years is as a day to the Lord.

God chose Abraham as the earthly father of His nation.  It is good to review the history to put time in God’s perspective 

EVENT                                 TIME FRAME                      COVENANT

GOD CHOSE YOU BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD 

Ephesians 1:4

SATAN CORRUPT HEAVEN    ⅓ ANGELS  fell  JOB 38

GOD CREATED THE WORLD   

ADAM AND EVE MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE   EDENIC COVENANT

ADAM AND EVE SIN   GEN 3             4000BC    ADAMIC COV

SECOND SET OF ANGELS FELL     GEN 6:2-4  2300  BC? Locked up, can’t roam                         JUDE 1:6

NOAH’S ARK  FLOOD       GEN 8:20        2340 BC   NOAHIC COV   

                                           God restarted the population of the Earth

                                           Noah and his family

TOWER OF BABEL           GEN 11            2247 BC

                                           Man decided to quit populating the Earth

                                           Make a name for themselves  Tower of Babel

                             SCATTERING OF FAMILIES   DIFFERENT LANGIAGES

ABRAM CALLED                GEN 12           1920 BC    ABRAHAMIC COV

The nation began with God choosing Abram as the Father

 Abraham’s  call

Gen 12:1-3

1 Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee. 

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great. And be thou a blessing. 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse. And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

THE LORD SAID TO ABRAM

God established a relationship with Abram with His call. If you read the story you will find out that he had been blessed with livestock, servants and

A faithful wife. He was rich. You could also assume he was devoted to God

And knew His voice. Abram was living under God’s grace and was prepared by Him to take the charge that would be given to him

God has done that for each of us. From birth we have been prepared to serve God. Every resource and event in our lives have been carefully orchestrated by God for His good pleasure. The ups and downs are the 

process in the preparation.

LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY

Abram was living in Haran with mother and father and relatives. He was in a good place with a good wife. He was living the good life. I believe he was 

Thankful and grateful. His father took Abram  to Haran from Ur intending

To continue to Cannan. 

Gen 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. And they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Abram was a obedient to the Lord’s command.  Haran was a significant city in Mesopotamia, the center of commerce and culture. To the ordinary man

This would not be a place to leave. Abram was no ordinary man because he listen to God rather than his flesh

Every since our birth God has been in the process of placing all believers

Where he wants to serve Him. There have been times where you moved

Somewhere not thinking that it was God guiding you for the greater good of others.  There probably been times where you heard the Word of God and moved. You are no ordinary person, because you are the dear children  of God.  Ephesians 5:1. You were once in the dark but God has moved you to the light. Eph 5:8 For ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light

LEAVE YOUR KINDRED

Abram had the support, the identity and security of his extended family.

He and his wife grew up around them. He was 75 years old and had no children. God asked Abram to leave all he knew. We have to break from our past behavior to follow God. Whatever the family was doing was not in keeping with God’s plan. As long as Abram stayed around them he would be influenced by them. 

It is the alone time with God that we gain greater insight into who He is. We have to move away from the noise to  hear God. When there are no distractions God's voice is heard louder and more clearly. Jesus always

Dedicated alone time with Father in prayer listen for His directions 

John 12:49 For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

LEAVE YOUR FATHER’S HOUSEHOLD

Leaving our mother and father can be a difficult thing. Sometimes is what we plan to do. It is God’s design for marriage. In Biblical time to leave the Fathers house was to abandon the inheritance and social status.

However in the first marriage God commanded Adam to leave mother and father and cleave to his wife. Genesis 2:24. A holy marriage is not to be

Influence by the mother and father but by God himself. What momma did and what daddy did may not be what God wants for your marriage. The two

Cannot become one flesh in momma’s house. 

GO TO THE LAND WHERE I WILL SHOW YOU

THe place where God led Abram’s father was not the place where

God wanted Abram. Abram’s journey was different from his father. While Abram was in a comfortable place, he had no chance of growing in faith.

He obviously knew God because he listen to Him, The move would

Test and grow His faith. Abram would grow into an intimate trusting relationship with God. To leave his family took the measure of faith

God had given him. Blind faith goes without knowing where you are

Going.

I grew up in Alabama. When I finished college, a job brought ne to Houston Texas, After 10 year, i got restless and was transferred to Dallas where I began a formal study of the Bible. I got transferred back to Houston. I believed God fixed it so I could not leave. I pursued a degree in theology

And have been teaching the Bible since then.  This was not where my father was, but I believe it is where God wants me to be. 

God’s plan for Abram started in the land He showed Him 

THE PROMISES  OF FAITH

Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great. And be thou a blessing. 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse. And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

When you walk by faith the journey will take you places you have never been and doing things you cannot do by yourself.

There are promises when you walk by faith. You have to move when God

Says move,   step out in faith

1. I will make you a great nation

2. I will bless you and make your name great

3. I will be your blessing

4. I will bless those who bless you

5. I will curse them who curse you

6. All the families of the earth will blessed in you

In ourselves we are not great. But in God we can do great things that bless others. God promises to bless and protect us as we serve Him. All the promises to Abram were fulfilled. What God did for Abram, He will do for you 

THE PROMISED LAND BECAME THE NATION OF ISRAEL

Gen 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran. And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. And into the land of Canaan they came.

Gen 12:7 And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land. And there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him.

At 100 years old, a son was born to Abram and Sarai who was 90 years old. Isaac became the promise seed who 400 years later became the Nation of Israel born in slavery. From Abraham seed came Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior who is the blessing of all the nations of the world who come to Him by faith

The Lord will always confirm His Word to you.  He does not tell you the entire journey at one time, but will guide you doing the journey, Abram

Had never been to Cannan, There were no road maps. There was no appointed guide to Cannan, Let me suggest that Abram move his family

By faith in the Lord.  God was the only guide he needed

SUMMARY

SUMMARY 

• God designed a nation for your salvation

• A nation of faith

• A nation developed over a period of 6000 plus years

• A nation open to anyone who believes in Jesus

• A nation whose hope is in the God who promised it

• A nation that brought forth Jesus Christ

• A nation still growing until Christ returns

• A nation that you were chosen for

• A nation whose destination is Heaven

CAN YOU HAVE ANY BETTER NEWS THAN THIS?

WHAT AMAZES YOU ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS?

  

Faith The Foundation Of Salvation For You

 FAITH THE FOUNDATION OF SALVATION IN CHRIST

                                   HEBREWS 11:1-3

GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION

1. GOD SET THE FOUNDATION   FAITH

1. Created the angelic community

2. Allowed lucifer to corrupt ⅓ of the angelic realm in

Opposition to God the Father 

3. Created man in His image and set Him in the Garden of Eden

4. Allowed Satan previously known as Lucifer temp Adam and Eve into disobedience

5. Because of Adams Choice, sin entered God’s creation

6. The need for a savior and a faith based family recognized

7. Adam kicked out of the Garden of Eden and sin society grew

2. GOD CHOSE A NATION ABRAHAM

 A LAND

 400 YEARS OF SLAVERY

 12 TRIBES OF JACOB

 4

3. GOD CHOSE A FAMILY LINE   A KINGDOM  DAVID

4. GOD SENT AN EXCEPTABLE SACRIFICE  CHRIST

5. THE CHURCH

THE RESULTS OF A SINFUL LIFE

• The need for salvation, Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection

• Earth cursed and transformed and subject to harsh conditions

• Man subject to hard labor

• Family problems

• Evil throughout the world came rapidly and increasingly violent 

• Life made short and full of trials

• Commands of God multiplied for obedient living

• The coming of a Messiah prophesied  and fulfilled 

• The church of God established, good news proclaimed

• The Bible given as an instruction manual for life

FAITH IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL LIVING

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith

 What does this mean?

Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of (our) faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus is the author, chief leader, captain of our faith 

Jesus is the Finisher, perfector of our faith 

teleioteen

'perfecter' (Heb 11:40).

Of our faith - Greek, 'of the faith,' including both His faith (as exhibited in what follows) and ours. He fulfilled the ideal of faith, and so, both as a self sacrificing  offering and an example, He is the object of faith.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God

God insures that the Word is placed before us in a way we can

Understand. Jesus used 48 parables in His teaching .

In my mind a parable is a physical way of teaching a 

Spiritual concept. The people of that time were farmers, sheep herders.  Any thing that had to with their culture would draw light to the Word

No one can come to Jesus unless the father draws him  

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:45 it  is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

It is the Father’s selection and man’s choice

Three things in Hebrews 6:44 -45

1. God will make sure you are taught His Word

2. God will make sure you understand His Word

3. God gives you the choice to follow His Word

God has given us all 5 senses to make himself known to us 

Rom 1:18-20

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;

19 because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, (even) his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:

God places people and circumstances in our lives so we will hear the Word of God.

Col 3:16-17

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms (and) hymns (and) spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God.

17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, (do) all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Our choice is to live the Word of God in all we do and say.

Living the Word of God requires a lifestyle change. Any man in Christ is a new creation. The old man is dead and a new man in

Christ has come alive.  This requires living by faith

WHAT IS FAITH?

Heb 11:1

 Now faith is assurance of (things) hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.

What is it you hope for?  All of God’s promises over 3000

I  don’t have to see it to believe it. Just believe in God

2 Cor 5:7 we walk by faith not by sight, disregard what you see

And believe God’s word

Faith has nothing to do with your five senses.   They give us  knowledge to make decisions. All decisions must align with God Word to be blessed

Without faith it is impossible to please God.  It must be our desire to please the creator

Faith is spiritual not physical

To each is given a measure of faith

Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith.

Romans 12:3

 Faith is here viewed as the inlet to, or seed-bed of, all the other graces, and so as the receptive faculty of the renewed soul. 'As God hath given to each his particular capacity to take in the gifts and graces which He designs for the general good.' 

Five Characteristics of Saving Faith

1. Love of God

2. Repentance from sin

3. Genuine humility

4. Devotion to God’s glory

5. Continual prayer

THE OBJECT OF FAITH IS GOOD WORKS

Faith comes responsibilities to be obedient to God word

Matt 5:16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Faith cannot be perfected without trials

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; 3 Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. 4 And let patience have (its) perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

Jesus is in charge of the perfection of our faith.