God's Call

God’s Call

Genesis 11:27-12:5

What comes to mind when you hear the name Abram? Ok, how about Abraham? They are the same person, only his name is Abram at the beginning of God’s work in his life. So, what comes to mind when you hear that name? “Father Abraham, had many sons, had many sons had father Abraham….” Did you ever sing that? I hope so. If not I feel fairly stupid right now. “Right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot…”

We have now gone through the first eleven chapters of Genesis. We are entering into the next major part of this book of beginnings in chapter twelve. It is interesting that the first eleven chapters covers some 2000 years of history. Remember, we have looked at creation, the fall, the flood, the tower, and finally today we begin to see the start of God’s people. These next fourteen chapters of Genesis deal with Abraham. Besides the Lord Jesus Christ, Abraham is the most important figure in the Bible. He is dear to the Jew, the Muslim, and Christians alike. Abraham means “a father of many peoples.” We are going to spend the next weeks, I’m not sure how many, at least February, looking at Abraham’s life and what we can learn from it. There is much to be learned from this man and what God did in his life. I hope you will plan to be here for the next few weeks, all 48 to be precise.

I believe the best place to start with Abraham is where we all started out at time or another, with God’s call on our life.

What does that mean? All of us have a calling in our life. God is calling all of us to something.

1. God is calling us into a right relationship with Him.

2. God is calling us to be His witnesses here on earth.

3. God is calling us to be ministers of the Gospel, ambassadors, ministers of reconciliation.

4. God is calling us to be godly men and women.

Some are having a hard time today with God’s call on their lives because they feel God must be making a mistake. “Me? No way. I’ve done this and that. I can’t do this or that. I’m not good at this or that.”

I. Is Not About Who You Are. Vs. 27

A. Who was Abram?

B. He was the son of Terah.

1. Part of an idol worshipping family.

2. Possible that Abram worshipped idols.

3. Joshua 24:2 “And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River (Euphrates), namely Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.”

C. That does not sound like someone who would become the father of many peoples.

D. That is how God works. He does not call us based on who or what we are, but rather on who He is going to make us into.

E. There was nothing about Abram that made him stand out. Nothing good about him that made God choose him.

F. Same is true for us today. There is nothing good in us that causes God to love us. There is nothing in us that makes us worthy of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

G. There is nothing about me that I should be here today preaching. There is nothing within me that is good, except that which God has done in me.

H. God’s call on our life means that He desires to call us, as we are, where we are and begin to lead us to the place He desires us to be and to become all that He wants to make us.

I. Look in verse 12:1 “Go forth from……to the land I will show you.”

J. God wants to take you and I from someplace to someplace. He wants to take you from where you are, to a place in life He will show you.

K. He won’t include all the details, but the call comes. Details aren’t needed in God’s call because remember, it’s not about you, but all about God and His calling on your life.

Right now there are men and women serving our country over seas and at home. They are making many sacrifices to be doing what they are doing. Some people would argue that they volunteered to do it. They chose to serve. Praise God they did. Never the less, they are making sacrifices in answer to the commander in chief’s call.

One reason so many people today don’t hear clearly God’s call or are not fulfilling the call of God on their life is because they are not willing to make sacrifices. And God’s call….