Bible Chapel of Shawnee  
September 29th, 2019

**Rhetorical theme**: Faith in the life of Abraham
 
**Full theme**: There are many observations we can make about walking in faith by observing it in the life of Abraham.
 
1. Introduction
    
    1. I ask myself questions somethings, sometimes hear others asking the same things
        
        1. I wanted to do this thing, does that mean it's of the flesh--not walking by faith?
        2. I did all my homework, sought counsel, read my Bible, prayed, weighted the pros and cons, but never felt like I got a specific answer from God. Does that mean I don't know God's will yet? Do I need to wait?
        3. Where does God's will come into play when I don't seem to hear His specific answers to my questions and prayers?
          
        
    2. All questions of what it looks like to walk in faith
      
    4. All questions motivated by _wanting_ to walk in faith
      
    6. Abraham a great study for answer to what it means to walk in faith￼_[Abraham's life slide]_ 3. Walking in faith is a process of growth
    
    1. See how God speaks to Abraham￼_[Handout of the three pairs of God's communication with Abraham]_
        
        1. Phase 1: Simple command (go), then lots of repetition and expansion of God's promises
        2. Phase 2: Difficult command (covenant), then more repetition and expansion of God's promises
        3. Phase 3: Impossible command (sacrifice), then more repetition and expansion of God's promises
          
        
    2. Each command is more difficult
      
    4. Each command is achievable
        
        1. Certainly challenging
        2. But, God had built the foundation for Abraham to be able: His proven faithfulness.
          
        
    5. Take the long view
        
        1. We are all somewhere along the process desires for us
        2. First thing God asked of Abraham was to just continue the journey his father started
        3. Greater things, more challenging, more rewarding may come later 5. Walking in faith will include mistakes
    
    1. Several mistakes recorded about Abraham
        
        1. Twice feared for his life because of Sarah
            
            1. With Pharaoh
                
                1. Thought he would be killed to get her
                2. Very early on, young in faith?
            2. With Abimelech
                
                1. Thought he would be killed to get her
                2. Much later, old habits die hard?
            3. Not hard to figure out this was a mistake
                
                1. Pharaoh - early on, yes, but how could God make him a father of many nations if he was dead?
                2. Abimelech - much later, heir specifically promised through Sarah, what was he thinking??
                    
                    1. After Isaac had been promised within a year
                    2. Sarah potentially pregnant at this time
                    3. Was he thinking: God doesn't need me anymore???
            4. The Lord rescued him both times
                
                1. Great plagues for Pharaoh and his household
                2. A dream to Abimelech
            5. Consequences still
                
                1. Hard times with Sarah? Not told, but seems likely!
                2. Kicked out of Egypt
                3. Strained relationship with Abimelech
                4. Not mention
                    
                    1. Plagues brought on Pharaoh!
                    2. Barrenness brought on Abimelech!
        2. Took Hagar when Sarah was barren
            
            1. Clearly not God's way: descendants named through Isaac
            2. The Lord rescued him
                
                1. Blessed Ishmael too
                2. Told Hagar to submit to Sarah
            3. Consequences still
                
                1. Problems between Hagar and Sarah
                2. Problems between Ishmael and Israel
                  
                
    2. Nothing derailed God's fulfillment of His promises
      
    4. Knowing this, we should not fear
        
        1. Of course, can't be lazy to do well
        2. We know difference between
            
            1. Intentional sin
            2. Mistakes and lapses 7. Walking in faith will include living with mystery
    
    1. Many things Abraham did not know
        
        1. "Go" without knowing where to stop
        2. Promised the land while many nations still dwelt there
        3. Rescued Lot with no guarantee of success
        4. Promised a son with a barren, old wife
        5. Told to sacrifice without knowing how God would let him live
          
        
    2. Why things this way?
        
        1. Difference between being told and experiencing
        2. Experience is the better teacher
        3. Teachers, mentors, bosses: ever purposefully not explained something?
        4. Parents
            
            1. Even with warnings, experience is often the final teacher
            2. Take them to Grand Canyon instead of just describing
            3. Christmas: keep gifts a secret
              
            
    3. The hard part: why didn't God just tell Abraham how his son would be born?
        
        1. Led to messing up with Hagar?
        2. Avenue for us to accuse God?
        3. First, let's be clear: sort out responsibilities
            
            1. Abraham's choice to take Hagar
            2. Pretty easy to know it was wrong: God's way from the beginning was one man, one woman, produce family
        4. Let's not pretend like God "could have prevented some huge tragedy"
            
            1. What huge tragedy?
            2. God blessed Ishmael
            3. Millions of people born through Ishmael, many nations
            4. Abraham not somehow responsible for choice of Ishmael's descendants
        5. By not knowing
            
            1. Abraham experienced first-hand God's
                
                1. Power over nature (Isaac's conception)
                2. Power to redeem through failure
            2. Prepared to trust God's miraculous power with offering Isaac 9. Walking in faith is done mostly without specific direction from God
    
    1. Three instances of specific direction in entire 175 year life￼_[Slide of God speaking to Abraham]_
        
        1. Go out of Haran (75)
        2. Keep the covenant (99, 25 years later)
        3. Sacrifice Isaac (115? 15 years later?)
        4. One of the most significant characters in Scripture it only tells us of three times God gave him direction
          
        
    2. Only two with lasting elements of obedience
        
        1. Live in Haran, direction for the rest of his days
        2. Keep covenant, activity for the rest of his days
          
        
    3. Significant things in rest of his life
        
        1. Going to Egypt
        2. Deceiving Pharaoh about Sarah
        3. Separating from Lot
        4. Going to war, rescuing Lot
        5. Having Ishmael with Hagar
        6. Pleading with the Lord about the righteous in Sodom
        7. Deceiving Abimelech about Sarah
        8. Burying Sarah, negotiating the burial plot
        9. Finding a wife for Isaac
        10. Marrying Keturah
          
        
    4. Many other intervening years we know nothing about with no specific direction from the Lord, as far as we know
      
    6. Point is this:
        
        1. If God needs to accomplish as great of things through you as He did through Abraham
            
            1. Birth a nation
            2. Start the line of the most significant person in all of history (Christ)
            3. Establish a pattern of righteousness through faith for all generations afterwards
              
            
        2. He won't need to tell more than 3 specific things
          
        4. If on the same schedule as Abraham, but live to 100, you're going to hear from him at 42, 56 and 65--and that's it!
          
        6. What are you going to be doing the rest of the time??
            
            1. Waiting for Him to tell you what to do next?
            2. Does He do that?
            3. Instead: grow in wisdom and knowledge of God to take action accordingly. Each of Abraham's "non specific" actions:
                
                1. Either done well by knowing something of God (ex. separating from Lot accomplished peace)
                2. Or done poorly by failing to act according to the knowledge of God (ex. Marriage being avenue of children, not Hagar!)
                  
                
        7. More likely we are like Ruth or Esther: no specific direction from God, but must rely on His wisdom and knowledge of who he is 11. Conclusion
    
    1. Walking in faith is a process of growth
    2. Walking in faith will include mistakes
    3. Walking in faith will include living with mystery
    4. Walking in faith is done mostly without specific direction from God