TOPIC: Taking the step of faith

TEXT: Genesis 12:1-9

INTRODUCTION:

Life is a passage or journey through time of God’s creations. There is a beginning and an end. It is measured in ages, centuries, years, seasons, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds. Science has advanced to such heights that it is now measured in fractions of seconds. No matter the measurement used, a unit of time is a step. It is referred to as a moment. It is that time that you move from one place to another in time. In the physical, that move is initiated by a force. Spiritually, that force is the word of God.  The force is appropriated by hearing the word of God for bible records that “Faith cometh by hearing; and hearing the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). The word of God is powerful and accomplishes the will of God universally. Without faith it is impossible to please God.  In the beginning of time when God saw that the earth was formless, void and dark, the Spirit of God who is also the Word of God moved upon the surface of the waters. The earth took a step at that moment and it received light and form and it became populated. I prophesy into the life of someone here today that as you focus on the word of God, things will turn around for your good in Jesus name. That is how the journey of the earth began. We will be looking at the life or journey of Abraham to see how it can help us achieve the turn-around God want to miraculously do in our lives.

  1. The reason for taking the step of faith: It is to do the will of God. When we look at the events before the call of Abram, it is clearly seen that mankind was not doing the will of God. God is a God of abundance who commanded His creation to increase and multiply and fill the earth. Both physically and spiritually, a seed in compliance with the will of God produces a tree that yields multiple seeds. That is the nature of the God we serve. His will for us, is to increase abundantly. The men of those days were however trying to make a name for themselves and God scattered them at Babel. Abram was like them. He had made a name for himself as “high or exalted father”. God therefore called him to be a “father of multitudes”. God does not want us to be self focused but to be selfless because He wants abundance for us. To move Abram to the next level, God’s word went out “Get thee out of thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great, and thou shall be a blessing. In other words, not as high father, but as a father of many nations through whom all families of the earth shall be blessed or enabled to do God’s will. You may be here this morning and you have reached the limits of your wisdom in tackling the problems of life, thirsting to know which way to go; when your dreams will come to pass; that sickness will be healed, marriage will happen, hopes will be fulfilled; I have come to declare to you that the word of God and His will is for you to prosper and have a miraculous turn-around. Step out in faith like Abram did. Get thee out from kindred (familiar spirits) and location (beliefs, standing, and idolatry).
  2. The problem of taking step of faith: The application of man’s attributes to God is one of the tools designed by man to understand God. God is a spirit and is omnipresent. This means that God can use anything anywhere to speak to a person; nature, vision, dream, word, audible voice. Taking the step of faith after God speaks, assumes that one has heard. If God’s voice is heard truly as a man hears a man, there should be no problem. The major problem seems to be that of hearing in two areas; the sensitivity to who is speaking and what is being said. Sensitivity to God’s presence is comparable to carrying a dove on your shoulders or the Spirit of God in you. Any word spoken and movement made can be welcoming or disturbing to the dove or the Spirit. Awareness of His presence, holiness, focus on God’s doings and relationship with God in His word allows us to know His character and how He communicates. It means being still and listening to Him. Sensitivity grows as we practice obedience to what we hear Him say. Not seeking God dulls our sensitivity and renders us incompetent in hearing God and thus failing to take the step of faith. 1Cor. 2:14, says that people who are not spiritual cannot receive truths from God’s Spirit. I pray that God will grant you by His Spirit in your inner man to be sensitive to His Spirit t (Eph.3:19).
  3. Involvement in taking the step of faith: The step of faith involves obedience and faithfulness. The first thing is obedience to God’s voice. Any other thing is disobedience. Abram departed as God had spoken to him. He did not wait to hear God the second time. How come that Abram who lived in a household of idol worshipers heard God. He was probably a worshiper who must have learned from his great grandfather Noah who raised an altar to God after the flood. He had descended from Shem who was blessed of God. God always has worshipers in odd places. If one is sensitive, God’s instructions should be immediately followed. He did not give the excuse of age as some of us would give these days as to whether it was God or not or that he was too old. He proceeded to follow God’s call with all that were close or precious to him. He did not use them to delay to obey God’s instructions. He may have failed to clearly understand that Lot was not called with him and which had repercussions later, but he was on the right path. It is not every time we take a step of faith that we get it right but God is compassionate and will right us on the way as we obey.When Abram got the Canaan, the first thing he did was to raise an altar to Jehovah God. He was a faithful worshipper who called on the name of God in the foreign land promised to him. In taking the step of faith it is important that we are consistent. Abraham sojourned looking for a city which hath foundation whose builder and maker is God. He did not look for earthly things but ultimately the heavenly Promised Land. In the same way we need not look at the obstacles on the way but through them to the ultimate will of God for us, which is physical and spiritual abundance.

Conclusion: God’s will is for us to have all round prosperity and be successful in life. To achieve this we have to take steps of faith that will lead us to God’s ultimate for our lives. Obedience and faithfulness are important aspects to having the miraculous turn around God wants us to experience.