Sermon Central
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The Blessings Of Getting Out
Contributed by Raymond Dix Jr. on Feb 24, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: This messages describes what happens when we are obedient to God’s commands. This is illustrated through the experience of Abraham in Genesis 12.
(Elab) = Elaborate
12:1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Intro - The saying is that "hindsight" is 20/20. When we look back over our lives, it is quite possible, perhaps for some even probable and for the rest of us definite that we would like to make some changes. (Elab - We would like to be able to undo our underhandedness, cancel our craziness and erase our errors)
Alas however, life does not afford us the opportunity to put the tape on rewind and go back and re-record, or tape over our errors. (Elab - Don’t you wish that for some mistakes you could just press stop, then rewind, then record?)
I believe that some of us would get out of some real messes in which we found ourselves…some messes that still stain the fabric of our lives even today. (Elab)
Yet I am intrigued by the fact that when we place some of these stains under the light of examination, we find that many of us have made some very avoidable mistakes. I mean we stayed when we knew we should have gotten out (Elab)
As I examine my own feeble and precarious existence I find times when I should have gotten out. I had a chance to leave, knew that I should leave, received a warning to leave, but I stayed anyway….(Elab)
One of the hardest lessons for us to learn is when to get out. (Elab - For example, as children, a fight breaks out, instead of getting out, we stay to see what’s up and wind up in the mix)
Very simply put, there are times when you need to get out.
(Trans) Abram, who was later to become Abraham, was chosen by God to father a great nation. But God had to first get Him out of that which could stifle his blessing, stunt his growth and stagnate his life. (Elab - Some of us would be in our season of blessing right now, but we refused to get out from among that which was hindering us- We chose instead to keep holding on to that which was holding us up)
But I do not want you to be confused, Abram did not have the luxury of getting out whenever he felt the time right. He was commanded by God to get out. (Elab - We must not believe that we can get out just because it’s tough, we must only get out of those things God wants us out of, and into the things in which God wants us into. (Elab - He knows what’s really hindering you)
When God calls us to get out three things happen:
I. He Gives Us Directions (vs. 1)
12:1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
A. Change Our Spiritual Address
"Get out of your country"
B. Be Willing to Release Some Close Relationships
"From your family And from your father’s house"
C. Move by Faith
"To a land that I will show you."
II. He Gives Us a Identity, Blessing and Purpose (vs. 2)
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
A. Our Identity - Who were you before Christ?
2 I will make you a great nation;.
B. Our Blessing - A great Name
2 I will bless you And make your name great
1. We did not make the name great, it was inherited (Elab)
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Phil. 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
C. Our Purpose - What is in us, goes to others
And you shall be a blessing.
1. Notice the future tense "shall be" it does not matter who or what they say you are, if you belong to God you shall be a blessing to even your enemies! (Elab)
