TCA-YWAM Austin October 27, 2019 Topic: Abraham, Friend of God (Compiled by Jon Dorris) (Permission granted for anyone to use freely)   Announce Li Feng next week   Main Point   Q-How does Abraham and Sarah’s life as a friend of God apply to you today? Q-Pay close attension to this message for HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE based on how Abraham live. -GOD OFFERS THE SAME TO YOU NOW   1. God looking for a People as His eternal Friends   -He found Abraham who kept saying YES to God   -We, Christians are an extension of Abraham’s family   Gen. 12:1-3 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”   A. God has a plan for our life. -Will we follow it? -If so = great blessings and rewards   -Is it easy? NO but God will always help you.   Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.   Ephesians 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.   Ex 1985 – Mission base   Ex. 1989 – Nepal   Ex. 2010 God confirmed Castle Hill inheritance   -God had Canaan as a Promised Land for Terah (Abram’s dad)   -Terah settled for Haran and died there. Never reached Promised Land -A picture of those who live all life WITHOUT Jesus as LORD.   -God knew He could trust Abraham to follow Him all the way   -Covenant to Abram 1. An instruction -Leave your country / your people -For a land God will show Him HE DID -How many of your parents or grandparents left their land?   2. I (God) will make you a great nation -Abram – exalted Father -Abraham – a Father of many (nations)   3. I will (a) bless you (b) make your name great (c) so you will be a blessing -How would you like to have these promises? Or -Do you want to wander through life doing it all on your own?   -We have talked about the rich blessing of letting God be LORD of your life -versus you carving out a life on your own.   -Which would you like?   4. God’s promise of protection and victory over your enemies -“I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you, I will curse -How would you like God to fight your enemies for you?   5. And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. -How would you like that to happen through you?   -How would you like all of this to happen to you and through you?   -All you have to do is take up God’s invitation to be LORD of your life   -Have you made Him Lord of your Life?   Ex. Eddy and Vivian   -They left the security of their home in Taiwan -They invited Jesus to be LORD of their lives and lead them   -Look at all the people they have blessed over many decades   -Being a blessing to others and the world is still going on through them   -It will continue for generations   TODAY looking back on Abraham’s life we see: He kept saying YES to God (even when it was hard) God kept rewarding him Fought the fight of FAITH to become the Father of Faith as example for us (we saw it 2 weeks ago Romans 4) -God birthed the Jewish People and nation of Israel through him. -He pushed on to the promised land and occupied it -God birthed Jesus through Abraham’s generational line -God birthed you all and me through Abraham’s obedience to God   Galatians 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us … …  14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.   -We all have the option to be part of that Gen 12:1-3 covenant TODAY.   -Do you want that?   Let’s recap God’s offer to us (Gen 12:1-2)   1. Gen 12:1 – Are you willing to follow God where ever He leads you?   2. Do you want God to grow you into a great and blessed family?   3. Do you want Him to bless you all through your life? Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,   -Who is the “us”? -Those who have put their faith in Jesus as their 1. Savior AND 2. Lord of our lives   4. Do you want God to make your reputation great? -What would you feel like if the people at your school or anyone thought of you as a great person of very high worth? -Ex – look at Eddy and Vivian – people have great respect for them because God blessed them richly for persistently saying YES to God as their LORD.   5. Do you want to be in a position to always be a blessing to all those around you? -Ex – Eddy and Vivian   6. Do you want God to stand up for you and bless those who bless you? Do you want God to defeat your enemies for you? -Ex. The Nation of Israel -The USA prospers when we stand behind Israel. -Obama did not = terrible things happened to USA -Trump has aligned and blessed Israel = USA in some of the most prosperous times EVER. -Historical 8 year cycles of the USA stock markets falling NEVER happened in 2016. WHY? -Trump got elected and has blessed Israel the whole time in office. 7. Do you want to leave a legacy of blessings to the world at the end of your life?   All of these you can have if you follow Jesus as not just Savior but the LORD who directs your life paths.   Do YOU want all this? Here is ho   Romans 10:9-10 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.   Lets all pray BUT if you believe it and mean it in your heart YOU WILL BEGIN THE JOURNEY.   (Jon leads all in prayer for Jesus as Savior and Lord)