God's Promise to Abraham -- A Message for September 15, 2024

his September, we are focusing on the stories that make up the cornerstones of the Christian faith. Last week, we focused on Adam and Eve and their lack of trust in God. They didn’t follow God’s instruction to not eat from the Tree of Knowlege of Good and Evil. After God discovered their lack of trust in God and God’s rules, they were punished by being sent out of the Garden of Eden and having to fend for themselves in the world. 

This morning, we are turning to the Covenant God made with Abraham. Many years passed after Adam and Eve’s fall....people continued to be like Adam and Eve – making mistakes, not listening to God, not trusting God. Abram and Sarai were from the land of Ur. God called them to leave their homeland and move to a new land...they trusted God and they believed God’s promise make their descendants as numerous as grains of sand. They also trusted God’s promise to use them to bless the whole world.  

Abram and Sari were nomadic and had herds of animals. When their camp became too large for the land to sustain all the herds and people, Abran’s nephew Lot took his part of the family and the animals and settled in another area.  

Abram kept waiting for God to fulfill God’s promise to his family – but he started to worry about how he would have numerous descendants if he and his wife were aging and remained childless. The window of opportunity seemed to be quickly closing....when was God going to keep God’s promise? 

We pick up the story in Genesis chapter 15. Listen now to the word of God: 

The Scripture Genesis 15:1-6 

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 

“Do not be afraid, Abram. 
    I am your shield, 
    your very great reward.” 

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”  

And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 

Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”  

He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen 

Let us pray.... 

The Message God’s Promise to Abraham 

Trusting God is often difficult. Last week, we read the story of how Adam and Eve failed to trust God by breaking the one rule God established for them – he told them to not eat the fruit of one tree, one tree surrounded by countless other trees bursting with fruit. They had plenty to eat and plenty of fun things to do to keep busy in their lush garden. But, the one tree God told them to avoid was too tempting for them. They couldn’t resist taking a bite of the one tree’s fruit they were told to avoid. 

This morning, we turn to the story of Abram and Sarai, the patriarch and matriarch of the people of God who would be renamed Abraham and Sarah. The couple did a better job than Adam and Eve when it came to the trust department.  They were faithful followers of God who took the risk of leaving their homeland and moving to another land because God told them to move. They relocated over and over again when God told them to move. They were attacked by outside groups. They were at risk of being captured and enslaved. They were uncomfortable and vulnerable. And, they trusted God’s promise to make them the parents of a great nation and countless offspring. 

But, in the reading this morning, apparently Abram’s trust was wearing thin. He was afraid God wasn’t going to come through. And, he expressed his fears when Abram talked to God. God took Abram outside and had him look at the stars. God again reiterated God’s promise – Abram's offspring would be countless...as numerous as the stars in the sky. 

And, God’s promise did come true. Eventually, Sarah did become pregnant. She birthed Isaac as an elderly mom.  Sarah fits the definition of the term “geriatric pregnancy” -- she was around 90 when Isaac was born. And, Isaac had two sons. And those sons had many children. Jacob had 12 sons and a daughter, Esau had more. Abraham’s family line descended to Jesus, and although he didn’t have biological children, through Jesus billons of people have been adopted into the family of Abraham and the family of God. We are the sons and daughters of Abraham – we are brothers and sisters in Christ – and we are the children of God. 

Abraham and Sarah trusted God...they trusted when it was hard....they trusted when it was dangerous...they trusted when God’s promises seemed impossible. Most of us don’t expect barren 90 year old women to become pregnant....but it happened once or twice – Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist had a similar pregnancy. Abraham and Sarah are examples of the good that comes when we count on and trust God....despite the odds, God comes through. 

Trust is hard. It is especially difficult to trust God when bad things are happening to us and to the people we love. Sometimes we don’t understand God’s plans.  God sees a bigger picture for us and for humanity than we understand. We must remember St. Paul’s words to us that echo down from his letter to the Romans: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” So, even when we don’t understand God’s plan for us, we must remember and understand that God has a plan for us. And, that plan is Good. 

Abraham and Sarah trusted God. God’s promise of countless descendants was fulfilled. But, Abraham and Sarah didn’t live to meet them in person in this lifetime. They met Isaac...one of the future countless offspring. They didn’t meet their grandchildren and great grandchildren and two-thousandth great grandchildren. But, they trusted in God, and God’s promises came true. 

Let us work together to be like them, to trust God and to trust that God’s promises for us do indeed come true. 

Amen.  

 

Creation and Fall -- A Message for September 8, 2024

    On this Welcome Back Sunday, we are turning to the beginning of our Bibles for our Scripture. Over the next few weeks, we will reflect on the several of the best-known stories from the Old Testament. These stories are part of the framework that make up the Christian faith.  

This morning, we turn to the second Creation story found in the Book of Genesis. Please listen to the word of God as we read a selection of verses from Genesis chapters 2 and 3....  

Scripture Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17; 3:1-8 

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground,  

but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.  

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;  

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 

But for Adam no suitable helper was found.  

So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.  

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  

but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Let us pray..... 

 

Sermon Creation and Fall 

This morning, we turn to one of the most familiar stories in our Bible. Even if you only know a tiny bit about Christianity, you have probably heard of Adam, Eve, and the tempting serpent. We hear this story as the justification for why “man is fallen” and as the birth of our relationship with sin. This story is also used against women to justify patriarchal claims –- Eve supposedly tricked Adam, and therefore women will be eternally punished for her deception. This story is even used to justify why vegetarians believe you should not eat meat – before the fall, God gave the people vegetables and fruit to eat, but not animals – so, to get back to how we were first created, we should theoretically become vegetarians. 

This story is used to cover a lot of different theological ground. A most basic understanding of this story has to do with trust – God wanted Adam and Eve to trust God – to trust God’s words and desires for them...to trust God’s teaching and instructions.  God told the couple not to eat something, and the couple failed to trust God’s instructions. The serpent asked manipulative questions that caused Adam and Eve to question God. The couple ate the fruit of the tree forbidden to them and were expelled from the Garden for disobeying God’s instructions. Their trust of God fell apart when the serpent got into their “heads.” Unfortunately for Adam and Eve, their disobedience led to a much more difficult life for them. 

Many of our teachings about God are focused on trust.... Do we trust God enough to follow God’s laws? Do we trust God enough to live according to God’s teachings? Do we trust God enough to believe in the future God promises us? Do we trust God enough to have faith in God? 

Adam and Eve did not trust God enough. Everything fell apart because of that lack of trust. Eve and Adam were naïve in how they looked at the world. Before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they had a childlike world view. After they ate from the Tree, they suddenly had a mature world view. They took their bites of the fruit, and they instantly became adults. Once Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, they had to take care of themselves – they had to grow and procure their own food. They had to build their own homes and sew their own clothing. They had to give birth to children and care for them – in the garden, God created the animals and people – no childbirth was required. Adam and Eve did not trust God enough, and consequently, they needed to fend for themselves. 

Jesus came to earth to invite us to trust in God again. If we look at the mistakes Adam and Eve made as the beginning of the “fall of man” or our slippery slide into sinfulness, we can receive the give of hope and trust that Jesus brought to earth with a sigh of relief. Jesus came to tell us we are forgiven. Jesus came to give of himself on our behalf. Jesus died so that we can live knowing that God loves us and that God forgives us when we mess up...when we sin.  

As mature Christians, we must work on trusting God. The downfall of Adam and Eve came when they questioned God teachings and instructions to them. We must work on deepening our faith in God. We must study the word of God by reading the Bible and working to integrate Jesus’ teachings into our lives. We must remember to pray – to have conversations with God, to turn to God and talk about our troubles and our joys. We must work to see signs and messages from God – in the natural world, in the weird coincidences that occur in our lives, in the words of trusted Christian advisors, and perhaps even in our dreams.  We must work to trust God, to follow God’s guidance and instructions, and to embody God’s teachings.  

Even though Adam and Eve messed up, God still loved them. God didn’t decide to end the human experiment after the first two humans sinned. God removed the couple from the garden, and then made clothing for them and told them how to grow food. God still encouraged the couple and their children and all people to make good choices, to take care of each other, to protect the vulnerable and the stranger from harm, and to be kind and compassionate. We don’t always get it right, but Jesus came to teach us we are loved and forgiven no matter what. We must just keep working towards being better, doing better, and trusting God more and more. 

Amen.