We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 16,
in the Sing Psalms version, Psalm 16 on page 16. We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 7.
Protect me, O my God, you are my refuge through. I said, you are my Lord, I have no good apart
from you. The godly in the land for holiness renowned, they are the glorious ones in whom
all my delight is found. We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 7, and the tune is Selma.
Amen.
My Lord, I have no good apart from you. The godly in the land for holiness renowned, they are the glorious ones in whom
all I delight is found. Their sorrows will increase, who on force God's divine.
I will not sacrifice to them, their worship I define.
O Lord, you are to me, my cup and portion sure. The shame that is assigned to me, you God and he,
the Lord, I have no good apart from you. The Lord, I have no good apart from you. The Lord, I have no good apart from you.
The Lord, I have no good apart from you. The Lord, I have no good apart from you. The Lord, I have no good apart from you.
the appointed
To me is God divine.
I'll praise the Lord my God, whose counsel guides my choice.
And be there in the land of my heart, bring all the expressions of joy.
Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.
Amen.
our people to yourself. And so we thank you that as your call is here this evening, it is also all
around us, that you are a God who is calling our people near and far to come and follow you. For we
see that your voice is heard, not just through your word as we have it before it, although we
acknowledge that that is your special revelation to us. But we thank you too that you reveal
yourself to us through your very creation, through the heavens and the earth and all that we see of
your glory around us. For it reminds us that you are our maker, that you are our keeper, that you are
the one who has made all things, that you are the one who will call all things to an end, that you are
the one who has given our days to number them and to be wise with them. And so we pray this night,
O Lord, that as we see and hear your call to us, that you will give us the heart to be obedient to
that call, to hear it and to follow you. To follow you, Lord, through whatever paths you have in store,
to follow you in whatever work you have for us, to call you above all to look to Jesus and to put
our trust in him. And to know in him the one who is our security and our salvation,
now and for eternity. And so we praise you for your call. We praise you for your word. And we ask
your blessing anew on it this evening, that you will speak to each of us, not just collectively as a
congregation, but individually, whether we are sitting here in the building, whether we are listening
online, whenever we might hear your voice, that you would give us an ear to hear and a heart to respond.
And so we pray, Lord, that you would bless us and watch over us as a people. We do pray, O Lord,
that as we go forward from here, that you will be a God who leads us and guides us. We thank you for,
as we come to your word this evening, the reminder of Abraham, who was one who you called,
but also one who you led, one who you showed the way he was to go, the one who was able to look,
not to the cities of this world, but to a city whose maker and builder was God. And we ask, O Lord,
that you will give us the eyes of faith that Abraham had, and so many like him as well, that we would
continue to fix our eyes on you, that you would be the one that would guide our every step and lead us
in every way. And especially as we enter into a period of change as a congregation, as we think of a time
of vacancy and the need to be led by you, we pray that you will give us a spirit of prayer,
that you will fill our hearts, O Lord, with that longing to know you, to worship you, first and foremost,
and then to seek you and to know your guidance, to know your help, to know you speaking to us as a
people, as a congregation, as a community, that you would guide us, O Lord, that the vacancy would be
filled in your time and by your person. So we ask, O Lord, that in all things we will look to you,
and we thank you for all that we have around us to help and to encourage, that you give us that
spirit of prayer, that spirit of unity, that bondness of encouragement to one another and
loving one another. And we pray that you will increase these things in our midst, so that we
will be a congregation that would be said of, that see how they love him, see how they love Christ,
and how they love one another. And so we pray, Lord, for you to lead us in these ways. And we pray
for the Reverend Colin McLeod as he will become into the moderator. We ask, O Lord, for help and
strength to him in his own congregation and back, and also as he assists here as well. May he know your
help and your strength throughout these days and months ahead. We pray too, Lord, for our leadership as
a Kirk session and as a deacon's court. We pray, Lord, for you to give us wisdom and guidance
and help in all our discussions going forward as well. We pray that you will unite us together.
We pray for a vacancy committee as it's formed. We ask, O Lord, for your wisdom in that
and for guidance among all of us as a congregation to consider prayerfully who will come and preach,
who we would long to have among us, who would be a shepherd over us. So, Lord, we pray for your
blessing and your help in that. We thank you, Lord, that your promise is that you will be with us, and we
pray that we will keep hold of your promises at all times. And we ask above all, Lord, for your ministry,
for your gospel work to flourish in our midst. As was once said, there is no such thing as a vacant
congregation when God is in their midst. And we thank you for that, that your work goes on,
that we are a people serving you in the gospel. And we pray that that good news, that glorious news
of Jesus will be proclaimed by us all far and wide, that throughout our homes and our communities, that we
will share that word with one another and those who come around us as well, whether it's in our homes,
in our workplaces, in our communities at large, even those who pass us by at times, who we maybe only
see for a glimpse in a moment. Give us that boldness to speak. As we think of the gospel needs that are
around us, Lord, we thank you for all who serve in our midst, and we pray that you will strengthen
and encourage men and women, boys and girls who help in so many different ways. We thank you for
that willing spirit in our midst, and we pray that that will increase all the more, that we will be
united together for your cause here. We pray for your wider churches as well. We thank you for
your kingdom as it is being built. We pray for congregations throughout our own presbytery,
each one, O Lord, that they may know your blessing and your presence in their midst. We particularly
remember other congregations coming into vacancy at this time as well. We remember the congregation
in Grava. We ask your blessing on them, that they will again know your leading and guiding in these
days ahead. We pray for Reverend David McLeod, who is to be intermoderated over them. May you bless
them and uphold him. May you guide them and bless them too. And we remember Iamacritchie and his
induction on Friday evening, last Friday evening, to Greyfriars and Inverness. We thank you for that
occasion as we enjoyed our time here, that they enjoyed that time as well. And we pray for him
as he takes up the ministry there, and that the congregation and preacher would be blessed by you.
May you encourage them and be with them throughout these days ahead as well. We pray for our
denomination as a whole, O Lord. We pray for the ministry of your word throughout our land and far and
wide, that you would bless it to all ends of the earth, that the promises of your word would be
fulfilled to all ends, to the north, the south, the east and west, that you would call a people to
yourself. Remember all who minister in so many different ways. We think of Muriel in Cambodia.
We again commit her to your care and keeping. Thankful for the opportunities to meet with her over the
soon. We pray for that meeting on Tuesday, God willing, that you will bless it, that you will
bless her and hear our prayers for her and answer according to your will. Remember all our people,
and especially our schools and children at this time, as a time of holiday is upon us. May you watch
over people as they travel to and fro, our own as they go away, and visitors who come into our midst.
We pray for safety and blessing. We pray for refreshing and encouragement in these weeks of
holiday. We thank you for our schools, and we thank you for all the teachers. We pray for each one of
them, Lord, to know your spirit upon them, to know your goodness with them. We pray for our schools to be
a place of refuge, a place of your spirit abiding and the beauty of the Lord being seen. We know we hear
so often different stories, but Lord, we pray that you'd be pleased to visit us in our communities in
a special way, to watch over our young people, to draw them to yourself. We ask, O Lord, that you would
bless us now as we continue in our worship, remember us in all our needs, in our homes and families,
those who are unwell, those who grieve and mourn, those who are heavy in heart or cast down in spirit
at this time, those who feel discouraged or even dismayed. We pray, O Lord, for your spirit to be
with them, for your love and your grace to surround them, and your peace to be upon them. And Lord,
we ask you'll continue with us now in our time of worship as we open up your word, as we sing your
praise. May we do all to your glory and help us to hear you speaking to us as we ask all confessing
our sins anew, seeking your goodness and mercy to be upon us as we ask everything in Jesus' precious
name and for his glory. Amen.
We'll again sing to God's praise this time in Psalm 89 in the Scottish Psalter, page 344.
Psalm 89 on page 344. We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 5. The tune is New London.
Psalm 89 at verse 1. God's mercies I will ever sing, and with my mouth I shall. Thy faithfulness
make to be known to generations all. For mercy shall be built, said I, forever to endure. Thy
faithfulness even in the heavens thou wilt establish sure. We'll sing from verse 1 to 5 to God's praise.
God's mercies I will ever sing, and with my mouth I shall. Thy faithfulness came to the Lord, to be warm, to be
my God's merciful. The Lord's mercies I will ever sing, and with my mouth I shall. Thy faithfulness came to be born, to be
to generations on.
For mercy shall be blessed
and I forever to endure.
Thy faithfulness yield in the hands
thou wilt be sadly sure.
I with my chosen one have made
a covenant gracious thee.
And to my servant
whom I love
to thee is for my.
But I thy seed is salvation
forever to remain.
And will to generations of life
both build and maintain.
The gracious hope I want
for the heavens shall express.
And in the congregation
all sakes my faithfulness.
Can we turn together to read God's word
now in the book of Genesis?
The first book of the Bible, Genesis.
And we'll take up our reading in chapter 11
and at verse 27.
Genesis chapter 11, taking up our reading
at verse 27, we read down into chapter 12
and verse 9.
Now these are the generations of Terah.
Terah fathered Abram, Nahor and Haran.
And Haran fathered Lot.
Haran died in the presence of his father Terah
in the land of his kindred
in Ur of the Chaldeans.
And Abram and Nahor took wives.
The name of Abram's wife was Sarai.
And the name of Nahor's wife Milcah,
the daughter of Haran,
the father of Milcah and Iscah.
Now Sarai was barren.
She had no child.
Terah took Abram his son
and Lot the son of Haran,
his grandson,
and Sarai his daughter-in-law,
his son Abram's wife.
And they went forth together
from Ur of the Chaldeans
to go into the land of Canaan.
But when they came to Haran,
they settled there.
The days of Terah were 205 years,
and Terah died in Haran.
Now the Lord said to Abram,
Go from your country
and your kindred
and your father's house
to the land that I will show you.
And I will make you a great nation.
And I will bless you
and make your name great
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you.
And him who dishonors you
I will curse.
And in you all the families
of the earth
shall be blessed.
So Abram went
as the Lord had told him.
And Lot went with him.
Abram was 75 years old
when he departed from Haran.
And Abram took Sarai,
his wife,
and Lot,
his brother's son,
and all their possessions
that they had gathered,
and the people
that they had acquired in Haran.
And they set out
to go to the land of Canaan.
When they came
to the land of Canaan,
Abram passed through the land
to the place at Shechem,
to the oak of Moreh.
At that time,
the Canaanites were in the land.
Then the Lord appeared
to Abram and said,
To your offspring
I will give this land.
So he built there
an altar to the Lord
who had appeared to him.
From there he moved
to the hill country
on the east of Bethel
and pitched his tent
with Bethel on the west
and I on the east.
And there he built
an altar to the Lord
and called upon
the name of the Lord.
And Abram journeyed on,
still going towards the Negev.
And so on.
May God bless that reading
from his word.
Before we turn back
to this passage,
we're going to sing again
to God's praise.
This time Psalm 105
in the Scottish Psalter version.
Psalm 105, page 375.
We'll sing from verse 6
to verse 10.
And the tune is Glasgow.
O ye that are of Abraham's race,
his servant well approved,
and ye that Jacob's children are,
whom he chose for his own,
because he and he only is
the mighty Lord our God,
and his most righteous judgments
are in all the earth abroad.
We'll sing from verse 6
down to verse 10
to God's praise.
Amen.
O ye that are of Abraham's race,
his servant well approved,
and he that Jacob's children are,
and he chose for his own.
Because he and he only is,
the mighty Lord our God,
and his bosque's wife with his own.
And his bosque's life with her dr hár,
and his use of water.
And his bosque'sesis are,
God bless you.
The word he did, O my.
Which covenant he firmly laid
With faithful Abraham.
And unto Isaac by his soul
He did renew the same.
And unto Jacob for a law
He made it firm and true
A covenant to Israel
Which ever should endure
We can turn back to our reading in Genesis chapter 12.
And the beginning of that chapter, we'll look at verse 1 to 4 together this evening.
Genesis chapter 12.
And here we have God's call to Abraham.
We can just read at the beginning there.
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.
And I will make you a great nation.
And I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
So Abraham went, as the Lord had told him.
There's a question we're often asked when we meet somebody, especially for the first time.
And that question is, where are you from?
It's one of the most natural questions to ask.
But the response you give will depend where you are when you're being asked,
or maybe who you are speaking to.
If you just meet someone locally around the town,
the question might be focused just on Stornoway itself or another village in the island.
It might be, you know, what street are you from?
Where's your house?
What house do you belong to?
Maybe you're speaking to someone who's just from another part of the island.
It'd be, what village are you from?
Or if you're in Scotland, maybe you're away from the island.
They'd be asking, where are you from?
They might just say the Isle of Lewis or the Western Isles.
Or if you're abroad and someone hears your accent
and ask, where are you from?
You might just respond, Scotland.
There's all kinds of answers that we can give to the question,
depending on our circumstances.
That question, where are you from?
Tonight we're looking at this passage where God calls Abram.
And as we're looking at this passage,
we're considering Abram and God's call to him.
And just thinking of Abram, we could ask that question of him.
Who is he?
And where is he from?
You often hear Abraham mentioned.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
These names keep appearing throughout the scriptures.
Abram is seen as the father of the faith.
As we sang in Psalm 105 there in verse 6,
it speaks of Abram.
O ye that are of Abram's race,
his servant well approved.
He's faithful Abram.
He's described as there in that psalm as well.
He's such an important figure in the scriptures.
The covenant that was made with him,
that God made with him,
the promise that God gave to him,
as you see in Genesis 12 through to Genesis 17.
Abram is a father figure,
an important figure in the scriptures,
referred to again and again in the Old
and into the New Testament.
But who is he?
And where is he from?
He would be one who would be blessed by God
and through whom blessings would come.
But if you were to meet Abram in his time
and ask him,
where are you from?
I wonder what kind of answer he would have given.
Because as you read of him,
you often find that he is someone
who is constantly on the move.
He's a wanderer in so many ways.
And the question to Abram is not so much,
where are you from?
But ultimately,
where are you going?
And that is perhaps the way Abram would answer.
That where he is going.
We think of our own culture
and how many songs have been written
about our homeland,
our town,
our villages,
our islands.
Through generations of people
having to leave our island,
whether it's for work
or moving to another country,
so many songs were written
looking back to the place
they would call home.
The Durukin on Friday night
is always full of requests
from people who have moved away
or who are living away now,
requesting songs about where they have come from,
remembering home.
A longing for home
is something that is instilled
in so many people.
But what about where we are going?
For ourselves and for Abraham,
that's a question that we have to ask ourselves as well.
Not just where are we from,
but ultimately,
where are we going?
And as we read of Abraham here,
we see that through faith,
he went forward.
He left, as it were,
his home place behind
because God called him
to go to another place.
And it's amazing how it is described
as you go through the Scriptures
that it becomes not just a place
looking to this world,
but a place beyond.
For he longed for a place
that one day he would see
in all its fullness
and all its glory.
A place that many others
since then have longed for
and to this day long for as well.
And you read of this,
especially in the book of Hebrews.
And in that amazing chapter,
chapter 11 of Hebrews,
where it speaks about the people of faith.
And just hear what it says about Abraham.
In chapter 11 of Hebrews,
verse 8,
By faith, Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out
to a place that he was to receive
as an inheritance.
And he went out,
not knowing where he was going.
By faith, he went to live
in the land of promise,
as in a foreign land,
living in tents
with Isaac and Jacob,
heirs with him
of the same promise.
But then it says this,
For he was looking forward
to the city
that has foundations,
whose designer
and builder
is God.
That was not just a city
here,
but an eternal city.
A city whose designer,
whose maker
and builder
is God.
So it wasn't just about
where he was from.
You see there,
he was a wanderer.
He lived in tents.
But he was looking forward.
He was looking forward
to a city
whose maker
and builder
is God.
And what about
for ourselves?
When we consider
where we're from,
when we think to ourselves,
well,
where are we going?
And what does that mean
to us
this evening?
Where are we going?
Where are our lives
taking us?
Not just in the sense
of here in this world,
but eternally.
And how do we find
our way?
Well,
how would Abraham
find this city?
How would Abraham
find this home
for himself
and for all of God's people?
Well,
we see it here.
How he would come
to enjoy it.
How he would come
to find it.
It's through God's
gracious call.
God calling him
and the promise
of his covenant
of grace
to him
that we see
beginning here
in chapter 12
of Genesis
and it really goes through
to chapter 17
of Genesis
as well.
But ultimately
we see it
running through
scripture.
The seed is here
but it bears
its fullness
in Jesus Christ.
And it is through
faith
in him
and listening
to his call
to us
that we experience
and know
the blessings
promised
to Abraham
here.
And as we read,
he would make it
a blessing
to all the nations,
to all the families
of the earth
shall be blessed
through him.
It's an amazing promise.
It's an amazing call.
It's an amazing experience
that God would call
his people
to himself.
And we just want
to look at this call
to Abraham
and see
how the blessing
flows to ourselves.
We want to see it
in four ways.
First of all,
just to see
Abraham's background
and then the call
to Abraham
and then the blessing
to Abraham
and then the blessing
through Abraham.
I want to go through
these four things.
And first of all,
the background
of Abraham.
We read at the end
there of chapter 11
which kind of
sets the scene
for us
when we read
the generations
of who his father was
and brothers
and family.
And we read
a number of names
there.
And there we find
the background
of Abraham,
where he lived
and how he moved.
But more importantly
maybe,
the kind of people
that they were.
And the immediate
context of chapter 11
is the Tower
of Babel.
If you read
in verse 4
of chapter 11,
there it says,
Then they said,
Come,
let us build
ourselves
a city
and a tower
with its top
in the heavens
and let us
make a name
for ourselves.
This is where
the people were at
and this is not long
after the flood.
You see,
the people's heart
were still inclined
to make a name
for themselves
and not praise
the name
of God.
But in the midst
of this,
God came.
Came into the midst
and scattered them.
Scattered them
to all ends
of the earth.
It was not about
making their name
great.
But that God's name
would be made great.
And so this was
a time when
the people
had been scattered
to all ends
of the earth.
And Abraham
finds himself
along with his family
in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Now you maybe
think of Abraham.
You hear this name,
Mighty Abraham,
Faithful Abraham,
Abraham,
the servant of God,
a godly man,
you say to yourself.
And he was.
But where was he from?
Well, you think
he must have had
a godly family.
He must have come
from a godly line.
And yet what you find
as you look into it,
as you see
his father
who was Terah,
what you find is
that Terah lived
among a people
who had no word
of God.
in chapter 24
of Joshua,
just a wee bit
further on
in the scriptures,
it says that
Terah,
the father of Abraham
and Nahor,
just as we have here,
it says that they lived
in this place
out of the Chaldeans.
But what does it say?
It says,
they served
other gods.
They didn't live
in a place
where God
was worshipped.
They lived in a place
that worshipped
other gods.
And Ur of the Chaldeans
was a place
known for this.
It was known
for moon worshipping.
It was known
for idols
and a place
of many gods.
And yet that is
where Abraham
was from.
That is his background.
And he was in the midst
of all of that.
But doesn't that
remind us
of how remarkable
God's grace is?
Of how remarkable
God is
in the abundance
of grace
he shows to people.
That no one
is too far
from God
to be saved.
Here is Abraham
caught up
in all of this.
Gods of all kinds
all around.
And yet God
calls him.
It's an amazing
thing to think
that when we think
of our own
place today,
our own nation today,
how God
can be calling
people,
not just who sit
under his word,
but even people
who are out there
with no thought
of God
at this time.
When you think
of even ministers
and preachers,
of the gospel,
future ministers
may be tonight
sitting in a pub
watching the football.
They may have
no thought
for God
and in our eyes
they are far
from God
and yet God
may be calling
them.
That is the wonder
of God's grace.
That is the abundance
of God's grace.
Here we see it
with Abraham.
We think Abraham
must have been
from a godly
background,
a godly family,
and yet they
were so far
from God
and yet God
calls them.
And that is the
beauty of the
scriptures.
It's not about
our ability
to make things
great,
but it's about
God's ability
to make a people
great,
to make a people
believe.
That is the grace
that is seen
through Abraham.
His background
is maybe not
what we expect.
And when we look
at our own
background,
did we expect
God to call us?
So often
not.
But yet God
is a God
of promise.
He is a God
who remembers
his people,
who calls
his people,
and who promises
to be with
them.
And so this
Abraham,
who lived
in our
of the
Chaldeans,
he became
the father
of the faith.
One who
God's covenant
came through,
God's promise
came through.
It's a
remarkable thing
and a
remarkable
reminder
of the
God
of all
grace.
It doesn't
matter
our
background.
when God
calls,
we are
to listen.
And that's
the second
thing we want
to see here
as well,
is the
call
to Abraham.
So here
he was,
the background
is basically
in the midst
of idolatry
and worshipping
false gods.
But into
this comes
the call
of Abraham.
And to be
part of
his covenant
of grace,
there was
to be
obedience
from
Abraham.
God's
covenant
as it
was made,
God keeps
his side
at all
times.
It's not
like a
contract
that we
might make
where if
one side
of the
party
fails in
payments
or repayments,
the contract
is broken.
God's
covenant
is different.
God
will always
keep
his side.
but it
does
call
for
obedience
on
Abraham's
side
here
and
our
side
tonight
as well.
God
calls
Abraham
and you
might
expect
that call
would maybe
come once
Abraham
has sorted
his life
out,
once he
has maybe
moved away
from out
of the
Chaldeans
and moved
into a
better place,
moved away
from idols
and false
gods
and false
worship.
But no,
it comes
right into
the midst
of where
he is.
In verse
1 of
chapter 12,
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.
His
God
comes
in the
midst
of all
that was
happening
in his
life.
And that's
so often
the case.
We think
to ourselves
we have
to sort
ourselves
out before
God will
speak to
me.
We have
to sort
our lives
out before
God can
use me
or call
me to
something
else.
But God
says here
to Abraham
in the
midst of
everything,
Go from
your country
and your
kindred and
your father's
house to
the land
that I
will show
you.
And later
on in
scripture in
the book
of Acts
chapter 7,
we see a
little more
of this.
It says
in verse
2 of
Acts 7,
The God
of glory
appeared
to our
father
Abraham
when he
was in
Mesopotamia
before he
lived in
Haran and
said to
him,
Go out
of your
land and
from your
kindred and
go into
the land
that I
will show
you.
Then he
went out
from the
land of
the
Chaldeans
and lived
in Haran.
The God
of glory
appeared.
He appeared
to him
here in
the hour
of the
Chaldeans,
this place
of idolatry.
He appeared
to him
there.
And there's
a wonderful
reminder to
ourselves,
even here
this evening
or wherever
we might
hear this
message,
that God
speaks to
us in
our very
circumstances
here and
now.
Whatever our
lives are
like,
whatever is
going on
around us,
whatever is
going on in
our hearts,
God is
calling.
God is
calling us
to come
and follow
him.
He doesn't
wait for us
to sort
our lives
out.
He doesn't
wait for us
to make
ourselves
better,
because his
grace is
realizing we
are dead in
our trespasses
and sins,
like we were
thinking of
this morning
in Habakkuk.
Our sins,
they are
many,
but his
mercy is
more.
And he
has come
to give us
life.
And so here
we see
Abraham is
called to
leave his
home,
his people,
his father's
house,
and there's
a great
challenge in
this,
a challenge
to Abraham
here.
He is to
leave everything
behind and
trust God,
to listen to
God and
think,
well,
can this
God provide?
Can this
God keep
me?
Can this
God really
fulfill all
these promises
that he's
telling me
about through
me and
my wife
Sarah?
Sarah,
who it
says is
barren,
and yet
God is
saying,
I will
bless you
and make
you a
great nation.
His
trust is
put to
the test
straight
away.
And that's
a challenge
to ourselves
as well.
Do we
trust God?
Do you
trust God
this evening
with your
whole heart,
with your
whole life,
to say,
Lord,
I cannot
do this
by myself.
If I
cannot go
forward in
this way,
I have
my doubts,
I have
my fears,
I have
my questions.
But when
God calls,
it's decision
time.
It's
something we
face in
this world
again and
again when
God calls
us.
And we
so often
weigh things
up and
we think
of,
well,
what will I
lose out
and what
will I
miss,
what will I
gain?
We weigh
things in
the balance.
And tonight,
if you're not
heeding this
call,
what is
keeping you
back?
What is
keeping you
back from
being a
part of
the same
promise to
Abraham,
the promise
that he
says,
and you
all families
of the
earth will
be blessed,
the same
promise that
was given
to him,
that by
faith he
would see
these promises
fulfilled.
What is
keeping you
back tonight?
Do you
not trust
God to
be able to
fulfill all
these promises?
In the
New Testament
Jesus met
with a man
who was
called the
rich young
ruler and
Jesus challenged
him, you
know, go
and sell all
that you have
and then come
and follow
me.
And he
weighed it
up and he
says I've
got too
much to
lose.
He was
just looking
at it in
the temporal
things of
this world
and not
the eternal
things of
this world.
And he
decided no,
my wealth
is too
great,
the cost
is too
dear to
leave all
that behind
and follow
Jesus.
And it's
something we
have maybe
done or
maybe something
we are doing
right now,
we are saying
no, I
have too
much to
lose in
this world.
Well, you
have more
to lose
in
eternity.
What
shall it
profit a
man to
gain the
whole world
and yet
lose his
soul?
Abraham is
challenged
here.
The Lord
said to
Abraham,
go from
your country,
trust me
and go
forward with
me.
The burden
on Abraham
was,
will you
go?
And what
was his
response?
Well, you
see it in
verse 4,
so Abraham
went as
the Lord
had told
him.
Abraham
went.
How do
we respond
to God's
call?
Will you
go?
Abraham
went.
When you
think of the
disciples and
Jesus called
them and
said, lay
down your
nets, leave
them behind
and come
and follow
me and I
will make
you fishers
of men.
They dropped
them there
and then.
They left
them behind
and they
followed
Jesus.
Has
anybody ever
lost out
in doing
that?
No.
And if you
have any
doubts this
evening as
to the cost
of losing
out on
anything and
following
Jesus,
you will
only lose
out if you
don't.
the call
is to
come and
follow.
The question
is, will
you go?
Will you
go with
him?
Well, Abraham
went.
And what we
see then is
the blessing
to Abraham.
Blessing
follows
obedience.
We hear
that phrase.
But too,
often we think
of blessings
as everything
is going to
be well
in life.
But blessing
is knowing
that God
is with
you through
all things.
Honor me
and I
will honor
you, God
says.
And Abraham
went in
obedience.
And as he
went in
obedience, he
found every
promise of
God to be
true.
How God
would provide.
It wasn't
always easy.
There were
challenges along
the way.
But God
provided for
him.
In verse
two,
here it
says,
I will
make you
a great
nation.
And I
will bless
you and
make your
name great
so that
you will
be a
blessing.
This is
the very
thing that
they were
looking for
in Babel
in chapter
11,
verse 4.
They said,
come, let
us build
ourselves a
city, a
tower with
its tops
in the
heaven, and
let us
make a
name for
ourselves.
themselves.
They wanted
to make a
name for
themselves.
But here
in verse
2, we
see Abraham
here.
His name
is going
to be
made
great.
I will
bless you
and make
your name
great.
God will
do it.
This time,
both here in
the UK and
also in
America,
politics is
all to the
fore.
all these
slogans
come out
just now
of how
Britain is
going to
be great
once again,
or how
America is
going to
be great.
Put your
trust in
these people
and they
will make
the nation
great again.
That is the
promises that
are being
put out
there.
But all
it is,
it's like
the Tower
of Babel
back in
these days.
They want
their name
to be
great.
But the
answer to
greatness for
a nation
and for
a people,
it's not
about making
our name
great,
but making
God's
name
great.
Because only
God can
make a
nation
great and
a people
great.
And God
will humble
the proud
and he'll
exalt the
humble.
And so we
need to
humble
ourselves
before God.
And in
many ways
what Abraham
is doing
here is
humbling
himself
before God.
Being
obedient to
God.
Go from
your country,
your kindred,
your father's
house to
the land
that I
will show
you.
And I
will make
you a
great nation
and I
will bless
you and
make your
name great
so that
you will
be a
blessing.
And so
Abraham
went.
But when
you look at
Abraham as
he goes
on,
as he's a
blessing to
many,
you still
see him
traveling
around,
moving from
one place
to another,
living in
tents.
And yet
he knew
the blessing
of God
as he
worshipped
him.
He knew
the presence
of God
and God
blessed him
and a
people
through him.
He was
a man of
faith and
God
rewards that
faith as
we see in
Hebrews 11.
And what
was his
greatest
reward?
His
greatest
reward was
to be
looking forward
and to see
that city
that has
foundations,
whose
designer and
builder is
God.
That is
what faith
rewards,
to bring us
into the
presence of
God.
I was
going round
the castle
grounds this
week,
walking down
by the
Creed.
And as I
was walking
down,
there was a
group of
four tourists
who had
obviously come
off one of
the cruise
ships that
were in.
And they'd
come round
the new
pathway there
across the
bridge on
the Creed
and they
were
standing at
a sign
with a
map on
it.
And as
you come
over the
bridge,
there's three
ways to
go.
You can
go left,
you can
go right,
and you
can go
straight ahead.
And they're
looking at
this map and
they're seeing
me coming
towards them
and they
stop me and
they ask
me,
excuse me
sir,
could you
tell us
the way to
the city?
I say,
well I'm
not sure
where you
think you're
going,
but Stornow
is not
much of a
city compared
to some of
the cities
that you've
seen.
But I
said,
I can
point them
in different
directions here.
They're looking
at the map
and probably
thinking,
the shortest
way is
straight ahead,
but it's
just going
into the
woods.
And I'm
thinking,
if they go
in there and
they find
more ways
to go,
they're just
going to
end up
lost.
So I
said,
well your
best way
is to
follow the
river down
to the
mouth and
then follow
around the
path along
by the
sea.
At least
you'll have
something to
keep you
right.
But as I
left them
behind,
I thought to
myself,
what a
question that
is.
Can you
tell me the
way to
the city?
And that's
the question
that's behind
Abraham here
as well.
And the
question that's
behind our
own thinking
tonight,
what is the
way to
the city?
And what is
the city
that we are
looking for?
We think of
where we're
from,
but what
about where
we're going?
they may
have been
disappointed,
I hope not,
when they
came into
the town
of Stornoway.
But there's
one thing
for sure,
that if we
find this
city whose
maker and
builder is
God,
there will
be no
disappointment.
There will
be no
regret of
leaving anything
behind,
because we
will truly
see that
faith in
God and
in Christ
has a
great reward.
No matter
our journey
through this
life,
no matter
the ups
and downs
along the
way,
we are to
look to
a city
whose
maker and
builder
is God.
That is
the blessing
that Abraham
knew.
And just
as we
conclude,
just briefly,
I want to
think of the
blessing through
Abraham.
I will
bless those
who bless
you,
and in
you all
families of
the earth
shall be
blessed.
There is
an ongoing
promise
here,
that through
his covenant
with Abraham,
God would
bless all
families of
the earth,
all who
put their
trust in
him.
Go back
to the
question,
where are
you from,
and who
do you
belong to?
I
mentioned
how often
we hear
songs sung
in our
own culture.
And one
of the songs
that will
always catch
my attention
is the
song about
Shobost.
Shashiabost
is
Boehelam.
And there's
one line,
or some
lines in
that song
that speak
about a
generation of
people who
are no
longer living.
But yet you
still see
their mark
left behind.
The gardens
and the
fields,
they speak
of a
people no
more.
The marks
that are
there.
And we
think of
them as we
see it
around our
island in
so many
different
places.
You think
of the
lazy beds.
You see
them everywhere
throughout our
island and you
think, how on
earth did
something grow
there?
And yet they
are a mark
to us of
the life
that once
was.
Or the
peat banks
that so many
now are not
used.
They're a
reminder to
us of what
people relied
on in the
past.
But they're a
reminder to us
of the
potential that
is still
there.
Places that
are now
overgrown.
And yet
when we
think of
that in
light of
God's
covenant
with Abraham,
it can be
something we
think is
forgotten.
Something that
in many ways
that we have
left to the
side and
has become
overgrown.
And yet
the marks
are still
there for
us.
The wonder
of God's
grace is
still there
for us.
And at
the heart
of this
is the
fulfillment
of this
covenant
in Christ.
And where
we see
the marks
on Christ.
The marks,
the wounds
that bore
our sin
on the
cross.
And the
promise that
Abraham had
of a rich
land,
a blossoming
land,
that is the
promise that
is ours
in Christ.
Of a
greater
place,
a better
place,
a place
that Jesus
said in
John 14,
I go
to prepare
a place
for you.
And if I
go to
prepare a
place for
you,
I will
come again
and take
you to
myself,
that where
I am,
you may
be also.
a city,
a place
whose
maker and
builder
is God.
So the
question for
us tonight
is not
just where
are you
from,
the question
is where
are you
going?
And do
you long
for that
place?
Are the
things of
this world
taking hold
of your
heart so
that your
heart is
overgrown
with all
the pressures
of this
world?
Or are
you hearing
the call
of God
as it
was to
Abraham?
In the
midst of
idolatry
and everything
else that
was going
on around
him,
God called
him out
of that
place and
gave him
the promise
of a
blessing to
him and
being a
blessing to
others and
a faith
that had
its reward.
Abraham,
was a
man,
just a
person like
you and
I,
and yet
God called
him in
the same
way as
God calls
us,
each one
of us.
Abraham may
be seen
as the
father of
the faith,
but through
him and
ultimately
through his
seed,
through Christ
Jesus,
there is a
blessing to
all the
families of
the earth.
If we have
faith that
we too
will see
this city
whose
maker,
whose
designer
and builder
is God.
Tell me
the way
to the
city.
The way
to the
city is
by faith
in Christ.
So let's
hear his
call and
let's
follow him.
Let us
pray.
Our
father in
heaven,
we do
thank you
for your
word and
for the
promises we
find in
them.
We think
of the
fear that
these names
can so
often put
in us.
Abraham,
Isaac and
Jacob and
how unworthy
we are.
And yet
when we
see their
background,
when we
see where
they're
from and
ultimately
where they're
going,
we thank
you that
it reminds
us that
your call
is the
same to
us.
To heed
the call
of God
and to
follow you
that we
might by
faith see
that great
city whose
maker and
builder is
God.
So Lord,
guide us
along the
way,
keep us
and protect
us and
give us
ears to
hear and
to respond
to your
call as
we ask
it all in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
We're
going to
conclude by
singing to
God's
praise in
Psalm 16
in the
same
psalms,
the same
psalm as
we had at
the start,
page 17
of the
psalm
books.
Psalm 16
at verse
8,
we'll sing
down to
the end
of the
psalm,
the tune
is Golden
Hill.
It's a
psalm that
reminds us
of our
ultimate,
our blessing
in God
as we
set the
Lord always
before us.
Because he
is at my
right hand,
I'll not
be overthrown.
Therefore,
my heart
is glad,
my tongue
with joy
will sing,
my body
too will
rest secure
in hope
unwavering.
We'll sing
from verse
8 to
11 to
God's
praise.
Amen.
God's
love
and my
right hand,
I'll not
be overthrown.
Therefore,
my heart
is glad,
my tongue
with joy
will sing,
my body
too will
rest secure
in hope
unwavering.
For you
will not
die
my soul
in death
to stay
nor will
you leave
your holy
one
to see
the
wounds
decay.
you
are
lost
…
to me
Which shall I go at your right hand?
Joy come, your face will shine.
After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my right.
We'll close the benediction.
Now may grace, mercy and peace from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore. Amen.