Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17--4:1; Luke 13:31-35
Stand firm, have a firm faith. Well, what exactly does this mean. Too often we think it means shouting out what we believe or shoving it down someone's throat and yet today we have the examples in front of us. Paul says it is in being imitators of the gospel. Imitating what the people were taught by Paul and his companion, but this leaves us with the question what was that example because we don't get a clear picture from the letter what was shared. Abram is a good example, he's lifted up in Hebrews as being one of the great examples of faith, so I want us to see through his story what standing firm is.
Abram's story starts earlier than this. He is asked by God to leave his fathers home, the land he grew up in and to wander to a place God will give. There is never any indication where that will be or how long it will take, but Abram goes. He goes and has many adventures. Sometimes we forget them all. This is the first example of standing firm, going where God sends him.
Then in between we have Abram being promised descendants, even though his wife is barren. This promise originated with God's call to go and leave and many months, maybe years later it still hasn't happened. So Abram doubts here and God makes a covenant. Let's back up a little in the story though, because just before this they are in Egypt and Abram doesn't trust this God who led them to protect them. Because Sarai is beautiful he tells the Egyptians she is his sister, so Pharaoh takes her as a wife. Then the whole household becomes afflicted with a skin disease and Pharaoh figures out Abram lied, he returns Sarai to him. Not quite the shining example of standing firm. This doesn't happen just once in Abram's story either, it happens twice. He doesn't learn from the first that God will protect them. He has to manufacture his own control.
Then look at this second promise of descendants. Just a few chapters from here Abram and Sarai give up on God's promise and Sarai gives Hagar to Abram instead. They don't trust, don't stand firm enough, they again try to manipulate the promise back into their own control. God is faithful though and after the three visitor's come at Mamre Sarah then bears Abraham's son. They are no longer the people they once were, so their names are changed. In this visit we get to see the example of Abraham's faith, because Abraham is entrusted with the fact that Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed. This is the place where his cousin Lot lives.
After the visitors leave Abraham bargains with God. He doesn't want the city destroyed so it goes down a negotiating list with God. From if there are fifty faithful down to one faithful then God will spare the cities. How dare he, but Abraham has learned about God's mercy, through his own lies and manipulation of God's promises. Abraham knows the depths of mercy and dares to negotiate with God.
See Abraham's story is not a perfect story. It doesn't show us all the right ways to stand firm. Some days we try to manipulate and adjust to our own liking how we think God will be. The thing is we really mirror faith when we do. When we live out by example. Saying and shouting never gets us anything except people tuning out or shouting back. We must do.
See Jesus is in trouble with Herod because of doing. His message back is about what he is doing for those outcast, forgotten, left out by the empire. So he lifts this up as his example of who we are supposed to be looking out for. Anytime we think someone is a throw away we have become the judge of what is right or wrong and not left this to God or followed Jesus' example. Whenever we think we know better we are just manipulators of what we want for an outcome, not so far from Abraham's failings as we think.
The whole walk of faith though is getting it wrong sometimes. This is why we have a season devoted to looking at what we are doing. Becoming intentional about the fact we don't always get it right. Standing firm though that God will catch us, has caught us because of what Jesus has done for us. So look at your faith, even those times of little faith and be honest with where God is leading you on this walk. Is it to new ways of standing firm that don't make any sense, like reaching out beyond what we think is acceptable, to those who are on the margins of our society. Or it may be in opening an honest dialogue where we admit we have wanted to feel in control in our lives. See faith is a bunch of surrendering in the face of our own faults. Can you surrender?
Stand firm, have a firm faith. Well, what exactly does this mean. Too often we think it means shouting out what we believe or shoving it down someone's throat and yet today we have the examples in front of us. Paul says it is in being imitators of the gospel. Imitating what the people were taught by Paul and his companion, but this leaves us with the question what was that example because we don't get a clear picture from the letter what was shared. Abram is a good example, he's lifted up in Hebrews as being one of the great examples of faith, so I want us to see through his story what standing firm is.
Abram's story starts earlier than this. He is asked by God to leave his fathers home, the land he grew up in and to wander to a place God will give. There is never any indication where that will be or how long it will take, but Abram goes. He goes and has many adventures. Sometimes we forget them all. This is the first example of standing firm, going where God sends him.
Then in between we have Abram being promised descendants, even though his wife is barren. This promise originated with God's call to go and leave and many months, maybe years later it still hasn't happened. So Abram doubts here and God makes a covenant. Let's back up a little in the story though, because just before this they are in Egypt and Abram doesn't trust this God who led them to protect them. Because Sarai is beautiful he tells the Egyptians she is his sister, so Pharaoh takes her as a wife. Then the whole household becomes afflicted with a skin disease and Pharaoh figures out Abram lied, he returns Sarai to him. Not quite the shining example of standing firm. This doesn't happen just once in Abram's story either, it happens twice. He doesn't learn from the first that God will protect them. He has to manufacture his own control.
Then look at this second promise of descendants. Just a few chapters from here Abram and Sarai give up on God's promise and Sarai gives Hagar to Abram instead. They don't trust, don't stand firm enough, they again try to manipulate the promise back into their own control. God is faithful though and after the three visitor's come at Mamre Sarah then bears Abraham's son. They are no longer the people they once were, so their names are changed. In this visit we get to see the example of Abraham's faith, because Abraham is entrusted with the fact that Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed. This is the place where his cousin Lot lives.
After the visitors leave Abraham bargains with God. He doesn't want the city destroyed so it goes down a negotiating list with God. From if there are fifty faithful down to one faithful then God will spare the cities. How dare he, but Abraham has learned about God's mercy, through his own lies and manipulation of God's promises. Abraham knows the depths of mercy and dares to negotiate with God.
See Abraham's story is not a perfect story. It doesn't show us all the right ways to stand firm. Some days we try to manipulate and adjust to our own liking how we think God will be. The thing is we really mirror faith when we do. When we live out by example. Saying and shouting never gets us anything except people tuning out or shouting back. We must do.
See Jesus is in trouble with Herod because of doing. His message back is about what he is doing for those outcast, forgotten, left out by the empire. So he lifts this up as his example of who we are supposed to be looking out for. Anytime we think someone is a throw away we have become the judge of what is right or wrong and not left this to God or followed Jesus' example. Whenever we think we know better we are just manipulators of what we want for an outcome, not so far from Abraham's failings as we think.
The whole walk of faith though is getting it wrong sometimes. This is why we have a season devoted to looking at what we are doing. Becoming intentional about the fact we don't always get it right. Standing firm though that God will catch us, has caught us because of what Jesus has done for us. So look at your faith, even those times of little faith and be honest with where God is leading you on this walk. Is it to new ways of standing firm that don't make any sense, like reaching out beyond what we think is acceptable, to those who are on the margins of our society. Or it may be in opening an honest dialogue where we admit we have wanted to feel in control in our lives. See faith is a bunch of surrendering in the face of our own faults. Can you surrender?
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