Big God - Faith Willing (Outline Incomplete)

Hebrews 11:8-10, May 5, 2024

What’s this?

It’s a section of this Stack that reflects the content of a weekly small group Bible study that I lead. These posts primarily consist of a sermon outline used as notes during the meeting. A longer description can be found on the About page. If you subscribe to this Substack but don’t wish to receive notifications for this section, select Manage Subscription from the upper-right menu and turn the notification off there.

Audience

I prepare and present these outlines for an on-campus small group audience, adding explanations and additional questions during the meeting itself. Members of the group vary in their understanding, but are familiar with the Bible, can find references fairly quickly, and tend to believe what they read there. The beliefs we hold vary individually.

I have no particular expectations with regard to an online audience. Curiosity is enough, and perhaps patience if you understand things differently. The same goes for visitors to the church itself.

Questions and comments are encouraged.

Small Group Setting

Meetings are informal and conversational, although there is structure. We begin by taking time to arrive and connect, open in prayer, and then review a portion the message from the previous Sunday. There isn’t time to go through everything, but we go where we are drawn, following the outline or not.

There is considerably more to each message than what appears in the outline, and I suggest viewing it if you have the time and interest. Sermon videos typically run about 30-35 minutes. Take a few notes. Comment below.

Toward the end of our time we look at the “fill-in” sermon points, published with blanks in the bulletin but presented in full within the message and here. We also may glance at the questions for reflection (also from the bulletin) if there is time, and we close with extended prayer.

Note About This Session

We had a very small group this week, just two of us, and I was still not feeling terribly well (nothing contagious, though!). To keep this short, I didn’t complete the outline this week — I didn’t need it for the in-person group and there is quite a bit of extra work for me to do when only the contemporary services meet, as happened this week — and that is why I marked this post “incomplete”. What I have here instead is the balance of my rough notes taken during the service. The rest of the post was already completed, however, and I decided to go ahead and publish prior to publishing the next one, to keep things in order.

Note About This Series

This “Big God” sermon series is based on the book Big God — What Happens When We Trust Him, by Britt Merrick.

Pre-Sermon Anthem

(Contemporary service; no choir, no anthem)

Sermon Video

Optional but recommended. Especially since the outline is incomplete.

Sermon YouTube Livestream Link
Full Service YouTube Livestream Link

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Sermon Outline

1. Scripture Reading

   1. Heb. 11:8-10

   2. Gen. 12:1-8

2. (Series comments & review)

3. Slide: Abraham is Faith Willing

4. Slide: Three things Abraham was willing to do by faith:

   1. He was willing to go

   2. He was willing to forgo

   3. He was willing to worship and witness

5. Was willing to go without knowledge of where he was going

   1. Slide: Heb 11:8 - By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

   2. Act of trust. Didn’t know Canaan was destination until he arrived.

   3. God said “go”; Abraham got up and went.

   4. Easy to go and be prepared if we know where we are going. Why?

   5. Slide: Gen. 12:1-5 - 1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

      2 “I will make you into a great nation,

      and I will bless you;

      I will make your name great,

      and you will be a blessing.

      3 I will bless those who bless you,

      and whoever curses you I will curse;

      and all peoples on earth

      will be blessed through you.”

      4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.
      Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.
      5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had
      accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set
      out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

   6. Abram and Abraham are the same person. Name changed.

   7. Why — Abram knew God. Knew when he spoke.

   8. (9:14)

[Rough notes from here on]

(trust exercises)

Why willing?

Slide Gen 12:1-5

Knew the one calling him to go. Recognized voice of God, and the promises.

(Scripture?)

We are called…

Great commandment

a. b. Love neighbor. Everyone in your path.

Great commission. Make disciples.

(Background of Citywide)

Concerns became obstacle. Willingness overcomes.

If not willing, perhaps don't know God, don't know promises.

Slide: Will never lead you….

Slide: Willing to forgo

Slide: Heb. 11:9-10

Willing to leave things behind. Homeland, identity, culture, house (to tents).

Focused on the promises, future city. Where God is the builder.

Will cost us something… All worth it.

Citywide -- gave up comforts… to go and serve.

Following Jesus costs.

Slide: Mk. 10:28-31

Peter: Given up everything; receive so much more.

Give up comfort, satisfaction of this world. Short time here vs. eternity.

Slide: He was willing to worship and witness.

Slide: Gen. 12:6-9

Canaanites in the land. Would face opposition.

World with great need.

A. began to worship and witness.

Built altar. Moran. Used to divine the future.

We focus on the future.

Can't do anything on our own. Finances. Hospitality.

Are we willing like Abraham?

Be people living out of the joy of knowing Jesus. Witness to those living without hope.

Keys to the kingdom of heaven.

[Prayer]

Sermon Points

Abraham demonstrates faith __________________.

Three things Abraham was willing to do by faith:

1. He was willing to ____________. (Hebrews 11:8, Genesis 12:1-5)

2. He was willing to ________________. (Hebrews 11:9-10)

He was willing to ______________ and ______________. (Genesis 12:6-8)

Questions for Reflection

• What are some things God has asked you to with your life? What might He be asking you to do now?

• Do you think you are willing to go where God calls you, leaving behind what He wants you to move on from and becoming a witness through your worship?

• How can you build a greater willingness to do what God has called you to do?