Abraham: The Faithful Traveler

Abraham: The Faithful Traveler
Hebrews 11:8-10
Introduction:
A. Hebrews 11 speaks of faith
a. Examples that we can see and associate ourselves with
B. Can you imagine for a moment traveling to a place we have never been before
a. A place we may have heard of before
b. A place where our children or descendants would enjoy
i. Our future children and generations would have
c. We don’t know where it is or the direction or anything
C. Would we go on this journey?
a. No true directions or knowledge of how to get there
b. Would we go?
D. Abraham was in this position (Our text)
a. He did so with a great faith
i. IN GOD!!!!!
E. How many of us would do such a thing?
a. Probably not many at all
b. But faith is critical and important in our service to God
i. It is impossible to please Him without faith (Hebrews 11:6)
ii. After all he is the author of our eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9)
c. We do these things without the physical evidence
i. No physical contact with our senses
F. Just like Abraham here
G. Let’s open our Bibles and study on this matter
I. By faith He went to a place not knowing where he was going
A. Abraham was a nab that had an incredible amount of faith
a. Especially with his faith in God
B. He was a blessed man already (Genesis 11:31)
a. He was taken with his family out to Ur
C. Notice what God said to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)
a. He told him that he would be blessed
b. He also told him he would receive an inheritance
c. A Place for his descendants to dwell
d. He would have a great nation from him
i. God will bless Him
1. How comforting is that for Abraham
2. Having God with Him
D. What did he do? (Genesis 12:4-6)
a. He obeyed God
i. He understood and went like God told him (Hebrews 11:8)
b. He went and took all of his possessions and those with him and they left from Ur
c. Where was he going?
i. He did not know!
d. He got to Canaan to a certain point
i. He Then received more comfort from God (Genesis 12:7-9)
E. By faith Abraham left for a country with no direction of where he was going
a. Through faith and trust in God it was all made possible
b. God knew where Abraham was going and that was all that mattered
c. He followed and listened to the Lord as his Guide
F. Abraham had a faith that showed itself because God chose him and his seed for the promised land
a. He had faith and this is just one of the examples of faith he had in God
II. The land was for him and His descendants
A. In verse 9 of Hebrews 11 we read about this land that he did not know where he was going was going to be for his children and all of the future generations that were here on the earth
a. Thus it was for Isaac and Jacob
B. This blessing was passed from Abraham to Isaac (Hebrews 11:18)
C. The blessing was passed onto to Jacob through Isaac (Genesis 27:22-29)
a. Jacob posed as being Esau and brought food to his father
b. The blessing that was passed from God through Abraham now comes to Jacob also
c. He blesses him through the blessings of God
i. He was preparing Jacob for the inheritance that God promised Abraham for his descendants
D. The children of Israel represented through the children of Jacob went for through the conquest for the promised land.
a. They encountered many things (Deut. 1:1-8)
i. They had more to do and go through and God still had the land ready for those of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
E. It was passed on to Joshua to lead them into the land (Josh. 1:1-9)
a. It was then fulfilled (Josh 13:1-7; -chapter 22)
b. The land was divided to each nation
III. The inheritance has been passed down to us today
A. Abraham knew there would be a land given to his seed
a. Though he did not see it with his own eyes
B. The inheritance was given to those of Israel and the land was divided
a. However because of their disobedience to God and not following and abiding in God they did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6)
b. Thus leading to separation from God because of their neglect
C. The promise that was given to the seed of Abraham was now given to common man or the “Gentile” (Acts 10:45)
D. Have we ever been to heaven?
a. We should want this and grope for this
b. A place we haven’t seen felt smelled before (Hebrews 11:1)
E. That inheritance is a heavenly city (Hebrews 11:13-16)
a. It is one that God built for those of the promise given to them
i. For those that will obey to His commandments
b. Jesus spoke of this way also (John 14:1-6)
i. Through Christ the heavenly hope and promise is ours
F. Abraham may not have known the way to the promised land but he followed through and by faith
a. We are to do the same also (II Cor. 5:7)
b. We are given what we need to know the way to the eternal inheritance
i. The scriptures
ii. We follow them and apply them through our faith
G. We have trust and are willing to obey by faith we will be blessed (Psalms 2:10-12)
a. We can be like faithful Abraham following by faith to place he didn’t know where he was going to
Conclusion:
A. Are willing to trust the God as our Guide starting today?
a. What better time than now!
B. Abraham followed by faith and let God be his guide
a. He trusted and obeyed!
C. He did for the inheritance God promised
a. God has promised us a land also (Rev. 21:22-27)
D. Do we want this land?
a. The Bible gives us the instruction to follow faithfully!
b. For those that are willing to obey God
c. Invitation