Readings: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16, Luke 4:1-13, Genesis 12:1-9, Hebrews 11:1-10
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, March 6, 2022
Communion Service
Hebrews 11:8 “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Abraham was a man of faith. In his life, his faith is linked to action. It was not some dry, academic belief in a theory. Faith for Abraham was a living principle. Abraham’s faith answered three questions that we all encounter if we seek to be disciples.
1. Where am I going? His faith enabled him to see his life as a mission.
2. What can I do when I make a mess of things? His faith enabled him to overcome his failures.
3. How do I get through the hard times? His faith gave him courage to face the darkest situations.
Abraham's faith enabled him to see his life as a mission. It answered the question 'Where am I going?'
Although such times are well in my history, I still remember the excitement when a school dance took place. Back then the question would not be, 'Are you going?' (because if you didn't go you might as well not exist), the question was 'Who are you thinking of going with?' The preoccupation was not with destination, but with the company one may keep.
Our text from Hebrews tells us that Abraham obeyed God's direction “Even though he did not know where he was going.” For Abraham faith sprang from relationship, his relationship with God. His faith was not based on having a clear sense of where life may be leading him. Relationships are important. We knew that back in school when we thought about who we should go to a dance with. We know it as we seek companionship for our lives. We know both the pain of bad relationships and the joy of good relationships.
Faith for Abraham meant that he was going on a journey with God. The destination was not significant, the company he kept was everything. Because of his relationship with God, he saw life as a mission.
A sense of mission is a feature of faithful people throughout the ages, exemplified most clearly by Jesus Himself. At the age of 12 we discover Him sitting in the temple and explaining to those searching for Him, 'This is my Father's house'. In situation after situation in the gospels we hear Him explaining His actions in terms of 'The Father sent me' or of 'Doing His Father's will'. His life was not defined by geographical location but by faithful obedience to His Father. A life of faith is not so much defined by 'Where are we going?' as it is by 'Who are we going with?'
If we allow our life to be defined by our relationship with God, then we can find a new sense of purpose in everything that we do. I overheard somebody complaining the other day; 'Life around here is just so daily!' Many folks seem to drag along in a kind of treadmill existence, bored to tears with the whole thing.
The faith of Abraham challenges to consider that it doesn't matter where we are going, just as long as we can see that life is meant to be a journey, a pilgrimage, a walk with God. That though, through faith in Christ, we can know our ultimate destination is to be with Him, we don't need to know what twists and turns the journey will bring us. Abraham went out 'Even though he did not know where he was going.'
Abraham's faith enabled him to overcome his failures. It answered the question, 'What do I do when I mess up?'
Genesis 17:1 'The LORD appeared to (Abraham) and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.” '
Be blameless? Abraham was blameless? He had to reach perfection, and only then would God bless him? Abraham, like most of us, had his good days. He also had his bad days!
A couple of times in his life he pretended his wife was his sister in order to get himself out of a tricky situation. The first time was when he sought help from the Pharaoh in Egypt. There was a famine in Canaan, and Abraham went to seek help. But he was afraid that when the folk in Egypt saw how pretty his wife was, they'd kill him and steal her. 'Right' he thinks 'I'll say she's my sister'. He saves his own skin, but his wife ends up in the harem.
Then all sorts of bad things started happening to the Pharaoh. He discovers that Sarah was actually Abraham's wife and he's mad at Abraham. 'What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? I've gone and angered your God... please take her and get out of here.' It's a sad picture. The man of God being rebuked by a pagan ruler. When you consider some of the stupid things we do, as individuals and as church communities, the world around us is often right to rebuke us.
It's not as though we are quick learners! A whilst later Abraham gets into a confrontation with another ruler, King Abimelech of Gerar. Again, he does the same thing. He tells the King his wife is his sister. The King takes her. Bad things start happening to the King. He finds out Sarah is Abraham's wife, and... again... Abraham is rebuked by a pagan ruler. Abraham … perfect, blameless, and faithful? Hmm.
And then there's the whole business of Abraham having a child by his slave girl Hagar, because he simply didn't believe God when God told him that his wife Sarah would have a child. Things didn't turn out well! Often in Scripture great characters of faith have some appalling falls from grace. Saints often turn out to be less than perfect!
The thing that marks them out though is this. They get knocked down, but they get up again. They understand that to fail is human. They are not defined by their failure, but by their recovery. They are not great people because of their capacity for perfection, but because they allow themselves to be transformed by grace.
When Jesus died upon the Cross. He prayed, 'Father, forgive them because they don't know what they are doing'. Before God we must be honest and declare; 'God, You are right.' We can be so clueless. Sometimes we are just dancing in the dark.
The Cross stands as a central symbol of the Christian faith because time after time, we blow it. But if we look to the Cross, we find there a love that tells us 'Rise up and walk. You are free. You are forgiven. Not because of what you have done, but because of what I, Jesus Christ, have done for you!'
Abraham's faith enabled him to overcome his failures. It answered the question, 'What do I do when I mess up?' What we do? We confess our sins. We accept the grace God offers and we move on down the road. That is faith.
Abraham's faith gave him courage to face the darkest situations. It answered the question 'How do I get through the hard times?'
The supreme test of Abraham's faith was the day he felt that God was telling him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on a mountain top. It's one of those difficult bible stories that make you wonder, 'What kind of God would ask anybody to do that?'
One can only imagine the conflict in Abraham's soul. Maybe there have been times in our own lives when we have really questioned if we are doing the right thing. Times when our actions seem capable of doing far more harm than good. But amid that darkness Abraham carries on trusting. The altar is laid. Isaac is placed upon it. The knife is raised, but before it falls God intervenes and Isaac is saved. Part of me says, this is going too far. This isn't heroic. It's foolish. It's cruel. It's abusive. It is not right to ask anyone to do as Abraham did. To sacrifice their only son.
Then I think of another only son. The One we call the 'Lamb of God.' The One we declare was sacrificed for our sins. The Son of John 3:16. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whomsoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The One we celebrate in our communion service as we break bread and share wine.
Tradition has it that the temple in Jerusalem was built on the site where Abraham had been led to sacrifice Isaac. This was the temple where Jesus challenged those who opposed Him with the words; “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." (John 8:56 NIV). Abraham saw Christ's day on the mountain with Isaac, the day his faith went beyond what should be asked of anybody. The day when amid unthinkable darkness, he held on and witnessed God's salvation.
Great faith may bring moments of great peace, assurance, and joy, but it travels through great doubt, disillusionment, and despair. Faith involves victories, but also defeats. There is no crown without a Cross, no resurrection without their firstly being a death. How do we get through the hard times? I'm not exactly sure. But we do! I'm convinced it's got a whole lot to do with grace.
So, I offer you today three faith lessons to learn from Abraham.
1. Relationship is more significant than destination. If we know that we walk with God, then where it leads us is not as significant as with whom we are walking. Walk with God, through faith in Jesus Christ and we will know the guidance of God's Holy Spirit.
2. Our lives are not defined by our failures, but by our recoveries. We all mess up. We find in Jesus One to be our Savior. Who prays “Father forgive them they don't know what they are doing”? We are saved by grace through faith.
3. Sometimes all we can do is trust God for the next word! Life lays before us unthinkable challenges. Faith can be defined by struggle and doubt as much as by peace and joy. Yet even amid the darkest situations love can break through with unexpected, transforming power.
Abraham – A great man of faith. Hebrews 11:8 (Message Bible) “By an act of faith, Abraham said 'yes' to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left, he had no idea where he was going.”
As we travel the Lenten Road, we do not know what coming days may bring. But if we put our trust, today, in Jesus Christ, we can know the assurance that we don't have to take one single step of our spiritual journey alone. We can share the truth of the Psalmist who has said, 'The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.'
To God's name be all glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
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