Star Gazing - Impacting our World
November 9 & 10, 2024 | Ken Adams, Lead Pastor
Message Notes:
Genesis 15:5 - And he brought him outside and said, Look toward the heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be.
Focus #1: Make
Focus #2: Make a Difference in our
Focus #3: Making Disciple-Making
Focus #4: Making it
Acts 1:8 - “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”.
Group Guide:
Open your group with prayer.
Lesson Overview:
Genesis 12:1-7; 15:1-21
Big Idea
Believers obey God’s call by faith, receive God’s promise by faith, and trust God’s promise by faith.
What determines whether or not we believe a promise made to us?
The source of a promise, the nature of the promise, and the time frame in which it was made affect our decision to trust the promise. Most of us would likely say we believe promises from God. Today, as we look at the life of Abraham in Genesis, we will consider how willing we are to take God at His Word and surrender to His plan.
Read Genesis 12:1-7.
God told Abraham some very specific things about how He would bless him. First, God promised to make Abraham into a great nation, meaning that he would represent an entire line of people. Then He promised to give Abraham a great name and a new land. Finally, God told Abraham that all of the peoples on the earth were going to be blessed through him.
What did Abraham have to sacrifice in order to obey God’s call?
Why is it often difficult for us to take God at His Word? What does our unbelief say about our view of God’s character and power?
Why did Abraham doubt he would ever become a father? What indicates Abraham had given up hope?
What does God’s kind response tell us about His character and grace?
Read Genesis 15:7-21.
How did God respond to Abraham’s doubts (vv. 9-10)? Why did God ask Abraham to do this?
It was a common Ancient Near Eastern custom to seal a covenant with the sacrifice of animals. According to this custom, when an agreement was made between two people, the lesser person in the agreement would walk between the severed pieces of the dead animals to indicate that if he broke his end of the agreement, he too would be torn in two.
Who walks between the pieces of the animals (v. 17)? What does a
“smoking fire pot and a flaming torch” symbolize? How does this story remind you of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Smoke and fire are symbols in the Old Testament of God’s presence. God met Moses in a burning bush (Ex. 3:2), and God led Israel out of Egypt in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22). Thus in verse 17, God Himself passes between the pieces of the animals. By doing this, God was promising to bear the consequences of His own covenant (2 Corinthians 5:21). Abraham should have passed between the pieces, but instead, God passes through the pieces giving us sure hope that He would fulfill His promises to Abraham and to us as the covenant God made with Abraham has been extended to us through Christ (Rom. 4:23-25).
What did God want from Abraham? What do you learn about Abraham based on his prompt, obedient actions?
Application
What are some ways that your heart is like Abraham’s heart? In what ways are you struggling to surrender trust and control to God?
How does knowing that God always remains faithful to His Word help us through seasons when our faith is weak?
How might we tangibly encourage one another to believe God and
surrender to His plans this week and in the weeks ahead?
Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His promises and His faithfulness. Take time to thank God for sending Jesus and declaring us His righteous children.