PROPER INTRODUCTIONS
GENESIS 15:1-21
INTRODUCTION
The Christian Education Ministry is focusing on twelve books this year for our church to study. This month, is Genesis. I would like to highlight one passage each month in the different books to help you in your reading and to keep you motivated in these books. In January, we are introduced to the Bible and God through the book of Genesis. I did a little research on making introductions.
ILLUSTRATION... (www.advancedetiquette.com)
When performing introductions, here’s what I call my 2-step golden rule to proper business introductions...
1. The first person’s name you say is always the most important person.
2. Thereafter, everyone else’s name is introduced to that most important person.
– Always say the most important person’s name first. In business rank and status are the primary determinants to who takes precedence over whom. Gender and age are typically not factors
– Keep the forms of the address equal. If you use Ms. Doe, you must use Mr. Smith. You should not say, "Jane Doe this is Mr. Smith."
– In regular situations, it is best to use both a person’s first and last name when making introductions. To use only a first name is not introducing the total person.
– Do say something about the people you are introducing so they will have something from which to springboard their own conversation. Then you may excuse yourself to meet and greet others
– Whenever introducing dignitaries and other notable people, such as elected officials, you may want to use the word "present" instead of the words "this is" or "introduce." It is the style most often used in diplomatic and international arena.
ILLUSTRATION... What do you call me? (Personal Illustration)
Today as we look in God’s Word, we are receiving a proper introduction to several things. We are introduced to the Almighty God of the Universe. We are introduced to a man named Abraham and something called faith. We are also introduced to the idea of covenant. All of these introductions are essential in our understanding of the Bible and Christianity.
READ GENESIS 15:1-21
I. GOD ALMIGHTY (verses 1-21)
This passage of Scripture helps us better understand the God who Created All. Who is this God who spoke everything into existence? Who is this God who saw the Tower of Babel and confused the languages of man? Who is this God? Can we understand Him? Can we know who He is? I will have to say that we cannot know everything about God. I don’t think God would be worthy of worship if we knew all about Him. We can, though, understand Him more and more by looking at His Word. We are introduced to God in this passage:
1) He is a personal God (verse 1): The God of Creation took time to come to one man named Abram and speak to Him. He is a very personal God and works in the lives of people throughout Scripture. God desires relationship. You can find the phrase : ‘I will be their God and they will be my people’ all thought the Bible. God desires personal contact with human beings. Chapter 15 of Genesis recounts His personal contact with this man Abram and it changed the lives of all people forever.
* God sent His One and Only Son and personally came to Earth
* God wants a personal relationship with you and me
* God wants us to come to Him in personal prayer to talk and share
* The Bible records God’s personal interaction with countless people: Daniel, David, Paul, etc.
2) He is a Sovereign God (verses 1,2,14,18): The God of Creation did not just create this world and then leave it alone. He did not create the people and then leave us to our own devices. In verse 1 God describes Himself as “a shield.” The word there can also mean “Sovereign.” God says to Abram/Abraham that God is in charge of the life and events that are around Him just as a King would be in charge of a kingdom. God is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful. Verse 14 also talks about how God has power over the rise and fall of nations on this earth. The ‘ites’ were at the mercy of God whether they knew it or not.
Why is this thought important? Kelly and I visited with the High School Sunday School class last week and we discussed this very issue. I must say it is important because one of the basic questions that many of us ask about God is: ‘Why does God let bad things happen?’ Or ‘Does God care that bad things happen?’ We hear of a tragic accident and wonder why God caused it to happen. We need to understand that knowing something will happen, allowing something to happen, does not mean that God caused it. God does not cause evil. God does not have ill-will. We live in a fallen world cursed by sin and bad things are the result.
* God is involved in our world and wants people to turn in faith to Him
* God is active in your life disciplining, helping, and stretching your faith
* God offers his comfort and help in times when this evil world and Satan attack us
We are introduced to this Almighty Creator God in Genesis. He wants to be intimately involved in our lives and loves us. This passage in Genesis is just the beginning of our introduction to the God of the universe.
II. A MAN OF FAITH (verses 2-6)
This passage in Genesis 15 focuses on a certain man named Abram. Verse 6 is really the key verse in the chapter: “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” Abram who is the same as Abraham was a man of faith. Hebrews 11:8-12 describes Abraham as a great man of faith who obeyed the Lord instructions and prepared the way for the people of faith. He was the first one to believe God and God’s plan really began to take shape for us to see with Abraham.
Most important, though, Abram was a man of faith and I would like to look at his faith for a pattern that we might emulate. I want you to remember as we investigate him further, that verse 6 records Abram as a faithful and righteous man.
1) Abram Asked Questions (verses 2-3): I do not know if anyone has ever told you that a good Christian does not ask questions. A good Christian just believes what they are taught. If anyone has ever told you this, they were wrong. What was the first thing Abram did after he received a vision from the Lord? He asked a question! He questioned the Almighty! He not only questioned, but also challenged God. The end of verse 3 records Abram saying that God had not yet done what he said and so no heir was born. God then made a definitive statement in verses 4 and 5 about what He would do in Abraham’s life. The of course we have verse 6... Abraham believed God.
* Do you ask questions about what you read in the Bible?
* Do you struggle with why you believe what you do or do you just blindly accept it?
* What questions do you need to ask about your faith?
2) Abram Made Himself Available (verses 8-16): Abram not only believed in God but allowed God access to his life. Abram made himself available to God. God never forces faith upon us, for it is a free choice that we all have. God said he would have the land... ‘ok God how do I go about getting it.’ God asked him to bring animals to the altar... and he did it. Abram was willing to let God be the Sovereign in his life. Abram allowed God to have control. That is not only faith, but faith in action.
* Are you available for God’s use?
* Do you place restrictions on God of where and when He can use you?
* Where can God use you in this church?
ILLUSTRATION... Characteristics of Mature Faith
In a national study of Protestant churches done in 1990, Peter Benson and Carolyn Eklin surveyed hundreds of people and distilled seven characteristics of a mature faith. You may not agree with everything on their list, but it’s still instructive to look at their conclusions.
1. Trusts in God’s saving grace and believes firmly in the humanity and divinity of Jesus.
2. Experiences a sense of personal well-being, security, and peace.
3. Integrates faith and life, seeing work, family, social relationships, and political choices as part of one’s religious life.
4. Seeks spiritual growth through study, reflection, prayer, discussion with others.
5. Seeks to be part of a community of believers who give witness to their faith and support and nourish one another.
6. Holds life-affirming values, including commitment to racial and gender equality, affirmation of cultural diversity, and a personal sense of responsibility for the welfare of others.
7. Serves humanity, consistently and passionately, through acts of love and justice.
III. THE IDEA OF COVENANT (verses 17-21)
ILLUSTRATION... I.H. Marshall, Jesus the Savior, IVP, 1990, p. 275ff
In modern times we define a host of relations by contracts. These are usually for goods or services and for hard cash. The contract, formal or informal, helps to specify failure in these relationships.
The Lord did not establish a contract with Israel or with the church. He created a covenant. There is a difference and in fact there is a big difference. Contacts are broken when one of the parties fails to keep his or her promise. If, let us say, a patient fails to keep an appointment with a doctor, the doctor is not obligated to call the house and inquire, “Where were you? Why didn’t you show up for your appointment?” He simply goes on to his next patient and has his appointment secretary take note of the patient who failed to keep the appointment. The patient may find it harder the next time to see the doctor. He broke an informal contract.
According to the Bible, however, the Lord asks: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15). The Bible indicates the covenant is more like the ties of a parent to her child than it is a doctor’s appointment. If a child fails to show up for dinner, the parent’s obligation, unlike the doctor’s, isn’t canceled. The parent finds out where the child is and makes sure he’s cared for. One member’s failure does not destroy the relationship. A covenant puts no conditions on faithfulness. It is the unconditional commitment to love and serve.
This passage in Genesis 15 introduces us again to this idea of covenant. We have seen covenants before in the book of Genesis. In fact, the first covenant was made in the Garden of Eden before God and the first people (Genesis 1:26-28). The second covenant we see in Scripture is found in Genesis 3:14-19 and is actually where we find the first promise of a Redeemer. The third covenant we find in Scripture is one that we all know from Genesis 8:20-9:6 where God makes a covenant with Noah and his descendants. It is this idea of covenant that comes out so clearly in the final part of Genesis 15. Verses 17-21 spell out some of the covenant between God and Abram. God makes a covenant with Abram that the land of all the people around him would be his. It was a promise. It was the Promised Land.
You might be wondering, has God made covenants with Christians? I would like you to look at Matthew 26:26-30.
READ MATTHEW 26:26-30 [focusing on verse 28]
Jesus Christ has established a new covenant with us. The covenant is of unconditional love and forgiveness based on the redemptive act of Jesus and His shed blood. This covenant promises eternal rewards for those who enter into it.
* Did you know that if you are a Christian you are in a covenant relationship with God?
* Are you living your faith worthy of that covenant?
CONCLUSION
