Bible Readings:
Genesis 15:1 – 21
Romans 4:1 – 25
Sermon Outline:
- Abraham’s Serious Dilemma
- A promise with no evidence of possible fulfilment (1-5)
- Our serious life-dilemmas
- God’s definition of faith – Hebrews 11:1
- and his compendium of examples (Hebrews 11:2-40)
- including Abraham (verses 6-13)
- Abraham’s Foundational Example of Faith
- “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (verse 6)
- ‘believed’
- from ‘amen’, ‘truly’, ‘faithfully’
- unreserved commitment to something
- ‘credited’
- to ‘charge’, ‘impute’, ‘reckon’
- a total commitment from both sides
- Harry Blondin and his wheelbarrow
- ‘believed’
- “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (verse 6)
- Abraham’s Desire for Proof
- “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know?”
- The LORD’s gracious commitment to a ‘binding Covenant’
- the ‘cutting’ of a Covenant
- God’s revelation of himself in a vision “Know for certain …”
- blessing in the context of hardship
- something we can readily relate to
- the hardship of the 400 years in Egypt
- the blessing that came from it …
- … learning to trust God and pray
- … 70 people became 2,000,000+
- the promise of a land
- blessing in the context of hardship
- “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know?”
- Abraham’s Message to Us
- Paul’s use of Genesis 15:6
- Romans 4 – faith alone, ‘sola fide’
- James’ use of Genesis 15:6
- James 2:14-26 – faith as a working reality
- Does the way we live out our faith pass …
- Paul’s ‘Romans 4’ test?
- James’ ‘James 2’ test?
- Are we trusting fully in God’s Covenant Promises to us in Christ?
- the NEW Covenant …
- foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34
- explained in Hebrews 8:8-13
- enacted on the Cross (Mark 14:23-24)
- the NEW Covenant …
- Paul’s use of Genesis 15:6