[0:00] Am I on? Good. Thank you, precious Father. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, precious Lord.
[0:11] Thank you, precious Lord. Thank you, Heavenly Father. We give you glory. Precious Lord, we give you honor. Oh, there's no one like you, Lord.
[0:25] Oh, we worship your holy name, Jesus. We give you thanks. Join me, brethren. Join me, people of God, this morning. And just lift up your voice wherever you are in your heart.
[0:40] And just worship this King of glory. Just give him thanks. Give him praise. Jesus is worthy of all our praise. He's the one that said, come unto me, all that labelled and heavenly lady.
[0:56] He's the one that says, I will give you rest. If you could take just more one minute and just worship him in your heart. Just tell him, Jesus, thank you. Tell him all the sweet words you can tell him this morning.
[1:10] Oh, people of God, tell him he's the lover of your soul. Tell him he's the bride and morning star. Tell him there's none that can love you like he's doing.
[1:22] Tell him there's none that can die for you like he did. Just express your love to him this morning. By opening your heart for him. By telling him, thank you, precious Lord.
[1:35] Oh, just worship him. Worship this good God. Worship this God that is three in one. God the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. We give you thanks.
[1:46] We give you praise, Jesus. We feel your presence here already. Oh, there is none like unto you. Oh, there is none that can be compared to you.
[1:57] All other gods are the works of man. You are the only true God. You are the one that sits upon the throne. You have made the heavens your throne. You have made the earth your foots too.
[2:08] You rule over the affairs of man. You are the God Almighty. We reference you. We hallow your holy name. We hallow your holy name, Jesus.
[2:20] There's none like you, Lord. None, none, none like you. We worship your holy name. We give you thanks. In Jesus' precious name.
[2:31] Amen. Thank you. Good morning, folks. It's a great pleasure to be here. And I first want to thank Carl and the team over here and the leadership over here for giving us the privilege to share God's word.
[2:55] And everyone that has been keeping us right from himself and all the leadership of the church, we are grateful. Myself and Caleb, my wife extends a greeting.
[3:06] Unfortunately, she couldn't be here. One of the things I've prayed, I've asked God for this morning is to anoint my tongue and tune your ears to my accent.
[3:17] So please bear with me. If you can hear me, I pray that the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit will interpret what I'm saying to you. After all, in the book of Acts, we were told that the Spirit of God came upon the apostles and everyone could hear.
[3:37] So I pray that you could hear me this morning. And that's my prayer for every one of us, that we could hear my accent very well.
[3:48] And I'm trying as much as I can to be a wee Scot. I know you can hear that. So I'm in the same hands. Let's quickly dive into the word of God and I'll pray for us.
[4:03] Genesis chapter 12. I'll just read some couple of verses then. We could go straight into what God has to speak to us about.
[4:14] And now the Lord said to Abraham, go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
[4:27] And I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. And I will bless those that bless you.
[4:38] And I will dishonor. And him who dishonor you, I will cause. And in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So Abraham went, as the Lord had told him, and left.
[4:51] And Lot with him, Abraham was 70 years old when he departed from Aaron. And Abraham took Sarah, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son, and all the possessions.
[5:07] And all that they are possessed, that they are gathered. And the people that they had acquired in Oren. And they went out to go to the land of Canaan.
[5:19] When they came to the land of Canaan. I just want to stop there. So it's a long verse. One of the most difficult things to do in life is to separate yourself or separate ourselves from what we are used to.
[5:39] Be it family. Be it family. Be it career. Probably, maybe, even if you are a lover of football like me.
[5:51] Even when your team is losing, like Asna. You will just stick with them for one reason or the other. Because it's so difficult to separate ourselves from the things we are used to.
[6:05] Sometimes it's a real struggle for us to actually part ourselves from the things we are used to. I think one of the examples I could give that could relate to myself is coming into Scotland.
[6:20] After many years of driving habits from the good, the bad, the ugly habits that I've had many years ago of driving. I came into Scotland taking driving lessons with my driving instructor.
[6:35] And we always have arguments. And he said, you are not listening. I'm driving. No, you are not driving. Because it was a great struggle for me to actually depart from those driving habits that I am used to.
[6:56] And to really follow the rules because I'm used to those kind of habits. And I concluded within myself, two things will happen.
[7:07] If I truly want to enjoy the driving, driving around Scotland, it's either I let go of those habits or those habits let go of me.
[7:20] Two things will have to happen. And one day I said to myself, oh Richard Sebastian, who delivered me from this course of bad driving habits.
[7:30] For us to really get a good glimpse of what I'm going to share with us this morning, I want us to look at some previous verse earlier before this chapter, which is Genesis 11 from verse 27 to 35.
[7:51] Just five verses. I won't take your time of going through it. I will just run through it. These five verses tells us the genealogy of Tara, Abraham's father.
[8:03] Probably the reason for these five verses before God asked Abraham to leave his father's house in chapter 12 was to show the family in which Yahweh is going to call Abraham from to become his chosen people, Israel.
[8:21] To tell him that to tell him that to leave that same family pointed out in chapter 11, verse 27 to 32.
[8:32] These five verses give us the genealogy of Tara, Abraham's father. The question will then be, why would God ask Abraham, please bear my polarization, to leave?
[8:46] Even before God asks him to leave, there is a covenant that God has had with his forefathers. That was why I went to that, I mean, genealogy.
[8:59] In God, ten generations before that conversation with God and Abraham, God has had a covenant with Noah. Ten generations before that, in Genesis chapter 9, verse 8 to 9.
[9:13] Genesis chapter 9, verse 8 to 9. So, there has been kind of a covenant that God is going to take his people into a new land, a new nation.
[9:26] But in chapter 12, God said, Abraham, it's time to leave. So, why would God ask them to leave? Why would God ask them to leave if there is a covenant?
[9:41] However, there was a covenant, but they have departed from the covenant of God. They have departed in serving God. Joshua brought them to the remembrance of how the Israelites departed, or how the people of God, I beg your pardon, departed from serving God.
[10:02] In Joshua chapter 24, verse 2. Joshua chapter 24, verse 2. I would like us to read that. Joshua chapter 24, verse 2.
[10:13] And Joshua said, Joshua chapter 24, verse 2. And Joshua said to all the people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, long before your fathers lived beyond Ephraim, Tara, the father of Abraham and of Noah, and they have served other gods.
[10:36] So, God asked Abraham to leave his country and his father's house to a land that we show him. One, probably to separate him from the idolatry of his father's house.
[10:50] God did not just say Abraham leave for no reason. God asked him to separate himself. Probably, number one, because of the idolatry, idol worshipping of his father's house.
[11:04] The people of Abraham, the people of Israel, of the Chaldeans, where Abraham lived, were idol worshippers and pagans who worshipped false gods. And God wanted Abraham to separate, to be free from the influence to fully devote himself to the one and only true God.
[11:25] In the world today, we are all influenced by one thing or the other. We are all influenced by one thing, be it country, be it culture, be it family, even our association.
[11:40] We influence the way we live our life. Just as I told you, as I struggled with my driving lessons, because there are some rules where I come from that's not applicable here.
[11:53] So I had to struggle because of the influence of where I am coming from. I bet you, if you drive the way you drive here in the United Kingdom or in Scotland, where I come from, you're going to get your car bashed.
[12:08] Serious. Because nobody's going to be waiting for you. No. Everything is just on the fast lane. Bah, pooh, bah. And it's a different thing. You are influenced by a lot of things.
[12:23] Around us. So God knew keeping Abraham or Abraham in his father's house, in his country, is going to influence him.
[12:35] So God said, Abraham, it's time to separate yourself. In order for Yahweh to accomplish his plan in the life of Abraham to start a new nation of Israel, God wanted him out of that place of negative influence to a place of true worship of God.
[12:53] Secondly, God asked Abraham, or second, God asked Abraham to leave his father's house to establish a new nation of Israel dedicated to the true worship of the one and only God.
[13:07] And with a blessing, and with a promise of making him a great nation. God did not just ask Abraham to leave his father's house, but he asked him to leave with a promise attached to his obedience.
[13:22] With a promise attached to his obedience. And that's where we are going this morning. Within Genesis chapter 12 and verse 1 and 3, Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 and 3, I will was mentioned five times.
[13:37] I will was mentioned five times. Indicating that, look, Abraham, here is the deal. You leave, I bless. You separate, I bless.
[13:49] You depart from here, this is my deal. So, God did not just ask him, hey man, it's time, get yourself a, just, no.
[14:00] God said, you leave, this is the part of the deal. You separate yourself for me. I hope I'm speaking to someone now. You separate yourself to me, to God, then this is the deal.
[14:14] If you leave a place of negative influence, if you live a life that is devoted to Yahweh and Yahweh alone, this is the deal.
[14:26] So, God asked him to leave with a blessing attached to him. So, Abraham's journey to faith begins with the act of obedience to God from Genesis chapter 12 verse 4 to Yahweh's command.
[14:41] He left his father's house, he left the land where he grew up, to a place where he's used to, and to a family where he, to a place, to a place, to a left, I mean, the environment where he's used to.
[14:58] A place without no family support structure. He left to the unknown, not really knowing what was on the underside. Taking his wife, his brother's son, Lot, another that he had acquired in Canaan.
[15:13] All of this movement for Abraham was not just because he didn't enjoy his birthplace or his family member. Especially when the Bible told us that he had gathered great possession.
[15:25] In chapter 12 verse 5, we were told that he had gathered possession, even while in his own land. He had gathered a lot of possession. He had had servants with him.
[15:38] So, he didn't leave for economic reasons. His migration at that point was not for economic reasons. He left because he was in obedience to Yahweh's voice.
[15:48] So, which means Abraham was comfortable. He was okay economically, but he had to live to the unknown. Personally, I can relate with that.
[16:01] And some other people, maybe my brother also, Caleb, that is also a missionary, one of the most difficult things to do is to live where you are used to. I've said it at the beginning. Especially when you are a bit comfortable economically.
[16:16] And God said, pack your bag. It's time to live. It's one of the most challenging things to do. So, for Abraham, he had to go in obedience and in faith to Yahweh.
[16:33] That brings my heart to our Lord Jesus himself. That left his father's throne. Gave up his divine privileges in heaven.
[16:44] Availed his glory. Emptied himself. Taking the form of a servant. Being born in the likeness of man. He was found in human form.
[16:56] Humbled himself by becoming obedient. Even to the point of death. To the death of the cross. Philippians 2, verse 7 and 8. Jesus himself.
[17:08] This is a reflection of who Jesus is. The king himself living his father's throne. Leaving his throne. Emptied himself. Came down to earth for the love of yourself and myself.
[17:24] That is the amount. That is the efficacy of what Jesus has done. Leaving himself. Even conforming himself to death. For us as offspring and seeds of Abraham by faith.
[17:39] We must follow Yahweh in faith and in obedience. In response to the call of our Lord Jesus. Peter and Andrew. By the sea of Galilee.
[17:50] Casting their necks into the sea. In Matthew chapter 4, verse 18 to 20. Matthew chapter 4, verse 18 to 20. Understood this very well.
[18:01] Jesus said to them, follow me. Jesus said to them, Matthew 4, verse 18 to 20. Jesus said, follow me. And I will make you fishers of men.
[18:12] Immediately they left their necks and followed him. Folks, that is a career being shot down on the spot. They didn't go back.
[18:23] Immediately they saw Jesus by that sea of Galilee. And Jesus said, follow me. There was no other further conversation. That you know what? Let me close my account.
[18:34] I need to get to Bank of Scotland. I have a wee discussion with my bank manager. No way. On the spot. We might look at this story. And think it was easy on them.
[18:46] No. This was a career for years. Being shot down. Because of faith. And obedience. As if that was not enough. Similarly, in verse 21 to 22 of that same Matthew 18.
[19:03] We see the two sons of Zebedee. James and John. Following their father. And Jesus said, come. They didn't go back and say, okay, let's go and see mom at home first.
[19:16] Instantly. Scripture told us that they followed Jesus. Friends, these are demonstrations of faith and obedience. In God. Leaving everything that they have built.
[19:27] Not knowing what is on the other side. But trusting and relying on the promise of the Lord Jesus. Saying to them, follow me. And I will make you.
[19:39] I believe the Lord is calling someone today. I believe God is speaking to your heart today. As you hear me. If you will respond towards him. In faith.
[19:51] Sister. The Lord is calling you. Brother. The Lord is calling you. Just as Yahweh told Abraham to leave his father's house. And it will make him. Obeying Yahweh's voice.
[20:04] Obeying God's voice. And putting your faith in him. At the beginning, most times, will cost you something. Let no one deceive anyone.
[20:15] Following Jesus is costly. Hello. Hi. Following Jesus is costly. It will cost you something. But if you weigh what it will cost you.
[20:30] And what you will gain. Then I think you should better have a better transaction. If you want what following Jesus will cost you.
[20:41] And what you will gain at the end of it all. I think following Jesus. We are guaranteed of God's faithfulness. And God's blessings in making us.
[20:52] And bringing us into what he has promised. I remember my own case when I came to faith. One of the things that happened to me. As a person.
[21:04] I used to be very popular. And I have a lot of friends around me. When Carl was saying. He was. He is. A troublemaker.
[21:15] In the school. Then I think when we were speaking to the children. I loved. I was a bigger troublemaker. So I had a lot of friends. But when the Lord called me.
[21:27] And I surrendered my life to Jesus. One of the first things that happened to me. I became very lonely. All my friends. I was a leader.
[21:39] Of a people. A leader of a group. A leader of a movement. So one of the things that happened. Everybody decided me. And I remembered vividly.
[21:51] Weeks. Months. After. I was so lonely. I had to cry to God. Father. I am lonely. I cried with tears in my eyes. For loneliness.
[22:02] If you have never been lonely. Please. Don't be lonely. It is not a good place to be. But I cried. It cost me all those I called friends. I never had.
[22:12] I never got an answer back. I believe the Lord was just quiet. And just looking at me. Oh. Stubborn boy. But many years after.
[22:26] Many years after. When I became very active in the church. I was reminded one day. I think the spirit of God moved my heart. And I was reminded.
[22:38] Are you still lonely? I was not lonely again. Because. The church family. Is there. As a matter of fact.
[22:49] Sometimes I pray for time to. Even. Be by myself. Because. I mean. It was just. To be near. so it will cost you something for some it will cost them Jacaria like we saw with the two sons of Zebedee and Peter and Andrew for some it will cost them a whole lot of things but I can guarantee you in God that whatever it costs you be rest assured that you are not alone that God is faithful to what he says he will do so Sarah and Abraham left their father's land left their kindred left all that they had in obedience to Yahweh's voice I mean when we read these stories we quickly show the demonstration of Abraham's faith like my brother Caleb was hearing at the beginning but you will wonder something we don't really look at in this part of the chapter of Genesis chapter 12 is the same Abraham or Abraham that in Genesis 12 from verse 4 to 9 showed enormous faith enormous faith massive faith leaving all that he had leaving his country go to verse 12 go to verse 10 of that same Genesis chapter 12 due to the family that was in the land started doubting the ability of God to protect him started doubting the ability of God to secure him and his family started doubting the faithfulness of God to protect him by telling Sarah when the Egyptians ask you if you are my wife say to them you are my sister that my life will be spared such a dramatic change the same Abraham that demonstrated massive faith not knowing who Yahweh was at that point just heard his voice and the journey just began could not trust
[25:11] Yahweh at that point I bet you if it was in this generation that Abraham or Abraham said that kind of thing to his wife that please when the Egyptians ask you that you are my wife or not say you are my sister I bet you you will have had a dirty slap you will have had a real good slap on his face if you said that of these days you mean you want to deny me because of trials he will have given Abraham a dirty slap I am sure his face will have turned back to his father's house you want to deny me the slap he will receive will have been very horrific but this is Abraham displaying the human nature that is where I am going as massive as he has demonstrated faith this is the same Abraham showing that we are humans this is the same
[26:18] Abraham showing that we are flesh living for Egypt on his own was not that a bad idea even though Egypt was going to cause a problem to them later in the future but he has not gotten to that the problem for Abraham living to Egypt and also denying or telling Sarah to tell them that I mean that she is not his wife the sister was that that singular action of Abraham will cause him to lose his wife and if he loses his wife how can the promise of God making him the father of nations come to reality because he has lost what yes God is sovereign but in the plan of God is to bring those that were hearing the promise from his loans which is
[27:21] Isaac and he needs to do that through a man and a woman meeting together but this is Abraham putting that particular God's plan at risk because of lack of trust jeopardizing everything I know it's strange we look at this and we celebrate Abraham's faith but I'm bringing it to you this morning that we are also humans that we are also humans so also Abraham is human this brings our human nature of sin and imperfection weakness and faithlessness in the midst of trials showing to us that the best of human beings the best of humans all cannot be compared to the faithfulness of Yahweh the best name it the best of all human beings the best of all faith generals the best of all patriarchs cannot be compared to the faithfulness of God it is only our Lord
[28:39] Jesus Christ himself that has been only to pass through that test why he was unearthed here it is only our Lord Jesus Christ that has been able to pass through that test because he is fully God and man that has been able to trust God all through his life on earth this is not an open check for you not to trust God but I'm saying even when you doubt don't beat yourself I'm not saying doubt I'm not saying don't trust him I'm just bringing out the weakness of human nature I'm just bringing out the weakness of human nature that the best of us cannot and will never be compared to the faithfulness of God even when the weight of sin was placed upon Jesus praying in that garden and he said if it be possible Lord let this call pass by me and he said nevertheless not as I will but your will
[29:46] Matthew 26 and verse 29 only Jesus only Jesus has been able to skate through that trier when trier comes when challenges comes to still be made faithful brothers and sisters in Christ situations we come and some of you may be going through it right now that we test your faith in God it will come oh yeah I'm telling you trust me it will come and most times when it comes it exposes our weaknesses that we can't go on this journey all alone without holding on to the utter and the finisher of our faith Jesus Christ himself it exposes us only Jesus only Jesus can save only Jesus went through it all died in trust and in obedience to Yahweh
[30:50] God and on the third day he rose from that grave he rose from that grave glory hallelujah the best of humans cannot be compared do you remember Elijah with fire first king chapter 18 after the victory on Mount Camel after so much a massive victory calling down fire that was a barbecue killed I mean man that was real that was power immediately Tyre came verse 19 when Jezebel was after his life you wonder the same Elijah man of God that came with fire he said oh enough enough take my life that's human that's one of the best of humans oh you remember
[32:00] John the Baptist even Jesus said of all men these are the declaration of all men not like John not like John Luke chapter 17 Luke chapter 7 verse 19 Luke 7 19 when fire came John the Baptist sent his disciple go and ask is it the Messiah to come hope she wait for another try us hello church try us when he comes with your face stand with my face stand oh you remember Peter same Peter that walked on the water if it's you Lord tell me to come oh on water man that's not ordinary the same Peter that healed but when Tria came he said
[33:02] I don't know this man Jesus said before the cock crow three times you Peter you will deny me you will deny me when Tria comes and said no Lord I will not we say those things oh Lord I will love you oh Lord I will trust you oh I just want to love you more ah good it will come it will come brothers and sisters but I came with the hope this morning to tell you that if you put your trust in Jesus not in yourself in the one that been able to go through it and skate through it and passed through it and succeeded in it they used to say in the other religion that they are following a man and the man himself the prophet that they are following said
[34:10] I don't know where I'm going which means he has he has not passed through death he has not passed through he said I don't know where I'm going but in the case of Jesus he has passed through what he has passed through he has scaled through what he has gone through there's no temptation that is like him unto man that the Lord Jesus has not given the way of!
[34:38] !! because!!!! the best of men cannot be compared to the strength and to the faithfulness of God the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God stronger than men 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 25 this money this mirror us as human beings on how we can doubt God faithfulness in our life in times of trials even though we know that God is ever sure God is ever faithful God is ever true even as he has proved himself to Abraham by protecting his life this assurance or this trust this confidence Peter needed to have when he asked Jesus in Matthew chapter 19 verse 27 to 29 he asked Jesus we have left everything everything we have left to follow you then what shall we have
[35:42] Jesus said to him I love this word truly I say to you in the new world when the son of man we sit on his glorious throne you who have followed me we also sit on the twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel he was directing that to his disciples and everyone who has left houses brothers sisters fathers mothers or children or land for my name's sake he will receive an hundred food and he will inherit eternal life directing that to you and I what is the Lord calling you this morning to part from that becoming a strong good I eventually passed my driving test because I said one of two things must happen is either
[36:43] I leave that habit or that habit left me so I concluded oh Lord help my wretchedness and Jesus came through for me and I was able to leave those driving habits and by now I have my driver's license glory be to God what is the Lord calling your heart to part from this morning to trust him what is the Lord speaking to you about it might not be land it might not be houses it might what is it that the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart that if you want to have this good relationship with myself and you you need to drop this you need to drop it quit complaining keep murmuring quit you need to drop it you need to be more grateful and thankful you need to count your blessings and name them one by one and see that the
[37:45] Lord is good what is it that the! is speaking to your heart about this morning oh I wish I had more time oh I wish I had more time Peter Andrew James and John the same way Abraham left his father's house and became not just a father to another nation for a father for a father of all you see the transaction leaving one thing being a father just leaving his own father's house now to becoming a father of nations I think that's a good transaction that's a good business I mean leaving your fish boat I don't know what your own fish boat is for
[38:50] Peter Andrew James John leaving that and sitting with the Lord to come in to judge the 12 types of Israel that's a good bag game for you leaving where you are responding to Yahweh's call with your heart and inherited internal life forever no changing of electricity bill no tariff hike no wind storm perfect life street made of gold raining with the king of glory that's a good bag game for you and myself in obedience to
[39:53] Yahweh this morning what are you willing to path with what are you willing to live in response to putting your faith in him and trust in him because he's the lord almighty father let's pray oh father we thank you precious father we thank you before i pray also in obedience to what god has through his spirit said to my heart i if you believe god and you believe Yahweh is able to do all things this morning if i go ahead and pray first i would love to join my faith with yours and pray for if you take a step of faith put your hands in while your eyes are closed put your hands in wherever you desire god's healing in whatever part of your body you desire god's healing we want to pray as a church this morning that the healing power of the living god will come upon you will overshadow you in whatever part of your body be it your eyes be it your just trust god this morning as we release our faith in obedience to him i trust god for his power for your healing my healing in our body this morning wherever you feel that pain the power of god is able and jesus son of the living god is able to heal you precious father we pray as a church you say wherever two or three are gathered in your name there you are in our midst we do not trust in our own flesh we do not trust in our own arms we do not trust in our understanding we pray join our faith together that your healing come upon your people your healing rest upon them jesus the healer of all jesus the power of god jesus the salvation of god we ask oh lord from the head and to the soul of your feet i ask that your power through your holy spirit rest upon them heal them of any pain of any disease of any lord thing that does not glorify your holy name thank you because your word has gone out and you will do that which your word has declared to do we thank you for your healing we thank you for testimonies that will come we thank you for all that you have done blessed be your holy name forever more lord we pray!
[42:53] for the church! myself and my brother we ask that your spirit your power continue to rest upon this church upon this people upon this community we pray for your servant we pray for the leadership of the church that you will rest upon them the power and the wisdom of God to go forth into this community and make disciples of all men that your name Jesus may and will continuously be glorified thank you most precious father and in Jesus mighty name amen