HARAN UR CANAAN Tigris Mediterranean Euphrates Sea Babylon Egypt Persian Gulf Egypt Terah (Abram’s father) Abram and Sarai Lot (Abram’s nephew) Red Sea

Story #1: Go The LORD said to Abram: “Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him… He took all his possessions and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:1-5

Story #1: Go The LORD said to Abram: “Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him… He took all his possessions and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:1-5

Story #2: Childless Genesis 12: God’s call and promise Abram 75; Sarai 65 Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child. Genesis 11:30

Story #2: Childless Genesis 12: God’s call and promise Abram 75; Sarai 65 Genesis 16: Hagar (surrogate) and Ishmael Abram, 86; Sarai, 76 Abram’s wife Sarai had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “Since the LORD has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps though her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. Genesis 16:1-2

Story #2: Childless Genesis 12: God’s call and promise Abram 75; Sarai 65 Genesis 16: Hagar (surrogate) and Ishmael Abram, 86; Sarai, 76 Genesis 17, 18, 21: birth of Isaac Abraham, 99; Sarah, 89

Story #2: Childless Genesis 12: God’s call and promise Abram 75; Sarai 65 Genesis 16: Hagar (surrogate) and Ishmael Abram, 86; Sarai, 76 Genesis 17, 18, 21: birth of Isaac Abraham, 99; Sarah, 89 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have this delight?” Genesis 18:11-12

Story #2: Childless Genesis 12: God’s call and promise Abram 75; Sarai 65 Genesis 16: Hagar (surrogate) and Ishmael Abram, 86; Sarai, 76 Genesis 17, 18, 21: birth of Isaac Abraham, 99; Sarah, 89 The LORD came to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him. Abraham named his son…Isaac. Genesis 21:1-3

Story #3: The Altar After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there was a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about. Genesis 22:1-2

Story #3: The Altar Genesis 22:3-18.

Story #3: The Altar Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we will come back to you.” Genesis 22:5 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac…He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead…. Hebrews 11:17-18

Takeaways What’s your response to the sacrifice of Jesus?

Takeaways What’s your response to the sacrifice of Jesus? Do you really believe that God wants to (and can!) use you to make a big difference in His world?

Takeaways What’s your response to the sacrifice of Jesus? Do you really believe that God wants to (and can!) use you to make a big difference in His world? Faith is absolutely required to become a Christian and live like a Christian. On some days following Christ will require “reasonable” faith. But on other days it will require “blind” faith.