Blessed to be a Blessing
Genesis 12:2,3
GE 12:2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
I. God will bless us!
A. The covenant is for Abraham’s seed too.
Genesis 17:7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
B. We are the seed of Abraham.
Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
C. Therefore, we are heirs of the covenant that God made with Abraham.
II. The purpose of God’s blessing is to be a blessing to others.
A. Jesus told the story of a selfish rich man. God requires much of us as recipients of the promise!
LK 12:18-20 "Then he said, `This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ’ 20 "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
Luke 12:48b, From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
B. While there is a universality to this principle, there is a specific application. There was a specific blessing in mind, which was the Lord Jesus Christ.
C. But we cannot say that now that Jesus has come, the covenant, and its responsibilities are gone—we must continue to bring Jesus Christ to others—to bring them under the blessing of the New Covenant.
John 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
D. We who have received the blessings of Life in Christ, have a responsibility to bring this Christ to others.
AC 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
E. We do this by giving our time, talent, and treasures.
a. Prayer
2TH 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.
b. Finances & Resources
2 Cor. 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
1 Cor. 9:12a If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
Luke 8:3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
c. Ourselves & our children
Matt 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
1CO 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
F. We are accountable: The story of the talents—
MT 25:28-30 " `Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
III. We are to be a blessing to the whole earth.
A. God gave Abram this promise for the purpose of bringing blessing to the whole earth.
B. The world was not an afterthought but was part of the original plan.
Galatians 3:8,9 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
C. Jesus commissioned us the Church as the ones to bring this blessing to the whole world.
Luke 24:46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
D. We must pray, give of our resources, and ourselves to
Malachi 1:11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
REV 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
