{"id":1206,"date":"2020-03-08T14:56:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T21:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1206"},"modified":"2020-03-08T14:59:48","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T21:59:48","slug":"the-amazing-season-of-lent-gods-amazing-blessings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/08\/the-amazing-season-of-lent-gods-amazing-blessings\/","title":{"rendered":"The Amazing Season of Lent&#8211; God&#8217;s Amazing Blessings!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"color:black;font: 10pt arial;\"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:WordDocument>   <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>   <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>   <w:TrackMoves\/>   <w:TrackFormatting\/>   <w:PunctuationKerning\/>   <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>   <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>   <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>   <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>   <w:DoNotPromoteQF\/>   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\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan; \tfont-size:11.0pt; \tfont-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\"; \tmso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; \tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; \tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; \tmso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; \tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; \tmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:#212121\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-1206-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Lent-2-03-08-20.mp3?_=1\" \/><source type=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/FILELINK?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Lent-2-03-08-20.mp3\">http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Lent-2-03-08-20.mp3<\/a><\/audio>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">The Second Sunday in Lent<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">March 8, 2020<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Genesis 12:1-8<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">The Amazing Season of Lent\u2014<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">God\u2019s Amazing Blessings!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify;tab-stops:13.5pt .5in 2.5in 238.5pt 337.5pt\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\">The L<\/span>ORD<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"> had said to Abram, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;Leave your country, your people and your father&#8217;s household and go to the land I will show you.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>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.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>So Abram left, as the L<\/span>ORD<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"> had told him; and Lot went with him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>At that time the Canaanites were in the land.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The L<\/span>ORD<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"> appeared to Abram and said, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;To your offspring I will give this land.&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>So he built an altar there to the L<\/span>ORD<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\">, who had appeared to him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There he built an altar to the L<\/span>ORD<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"> and called on the name of the L<\/span>ORD<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\">.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(NIV84)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">\u201cThen 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.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That is how our sermon text for last Sunday ended.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It ended on a very sad note.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It ended on a very negative note.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Adam and Eve had sinned.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As soon as they sinned they realized that they had a problem.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That problem first presented itself with the sudden realization that they were now ashamed to be naked in front of each other.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>How could the problem be solved?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Adam and Eve decided that they had to <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">do<\/b> something\u2014 and quick!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>So we are told that they took some fig leaves, sewed them together and <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cmade coverings for themselves.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now the problem was solved, right?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Not at all!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The problem was simply <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201ccovered up\u201d<\/i>!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Mankind\u2019s problem became even more apparent and even more acute when the Lord God came down to <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cwalk in the garden in the cool of the day\u201d<\/i> (Genesis 3:8).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The Lord exposed man\u2019s <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">real<\/b> problem when He asked Adam, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cHave you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?\u201d<\/i> (Genesis 3:11).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now Adam and Eve were brought to the full realization of the fact that their <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">real <\/b>problem was that they had openly rebelled against their loving Creator.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Was there anything Adam and Eve could do to solve this problem\u2014 a problem which they themselves had created?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>They most certainly tried, didn\u2019t they!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As we look at Genesis 3 we see that Adam and Eve had already tried to solve their problem by hiding from God!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That did not work out too well.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then we see that they tried to solve their problem by blaming someone else for what they had done!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That did not work out too well either.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Since there was nothing that mankind could do to solve the problem of sin, God in His amazing grace promised to provide mankind with <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">the<\/b> Solution to the problem of sin.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In Genesis 3:15 God promised that He would send someone into this world\u2014 Someone who would be a direct descendant of Adam and Eve, Someone who would have the ability to completely <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">crush <\/b>the power of Satan and at the same time be willing to endure the punishment that mankind deserved for his sin\u2014 the punishment of death.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Our sermon text for today takes place thousands of years after God gave that first Gospel promise recorded for us in Genesis 3:15.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Today as we continue our sermon series entitled <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">The Amazing Season of Lent <\/i><\/b>I would like to try and build a bridge from last week\u2019s sermon text to this week\u2019s sermon text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Last week we look at <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">God\u2019s Amazing Grace.<\/i><\/b><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This week we will focus our attention on a man by the name of Abraham.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Let\u2019s see how <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">God\u2019s Amazing Grace <\/i><\/b>led Him to bestow on father Abraham:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">God\u2019s Amazing Blessings!<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">We get the impression from Scripture that for about 16 centuries the believers among mankind lived in the light of that Gospel promise first spoken by the Lord in the Garden of Eden.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>While today 1600 years seems like an awful long time we do need to factor into that equation the realization that Adam lived 930 years, his son Seth lived 912 years and Methuselah lived 969 years!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Noah was born perhaps 1000 years after the creation of the world.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It was during the days of Noah, of course, that the world learned about both the justice of God and the grace of God first hand.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">A number of centuries after the flood (we don\u2019t know how many for sure) the incident recorded here in our text took place.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In the Garden of Eden the Lord God had promised that one of Adam and Eve\u2019s descendants would one day <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">crush <\/b>Satan\u2019s power.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now God takes that glorious yet general promise and He gave it a great deal more \u201cfocus,\u201d we might say.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In His amazing grace God gave to father Abraham a truly amazing blessing.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Look at the opening verses of our text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Moses writes, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cThe L<\/i><\/span><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"layout-grid-mode:line\">ORD<\/span><\/i><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"> had said to Abram, \u2018Leave your country, your people and your father\u2019s household and go to the land I will show you.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>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.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Abram was 75 years old when the Lord appeared to him and told him to go to a yet undisclosed land.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And the reason the Lord was calling Abraham to do this is spelled out in this amazing blessing that the Lord now gives to him!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>God <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">promised<\/b> Abram that He\u2014 the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cL<\/i><\/span><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"layout-grid-mode:line\">ORD<\/span><\/i><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">\u2014 would make Abram into a <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cgreat nation.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now how old was Abram at this time?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>He was 75 years old!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>How many children did Abram and his wife have at the time God made this promise?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s right!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>They had <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">no <\/b>children!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The amazing blessing that God gave to Abram here was then based <u>purely<\/u> on God\u2019s amazing grace, wasn\u2019t it!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Skip ahead from Genesis chapter 12 to Exodus chapter 38 and you will see that over the course of the next 600 years the descendants of Abraham did indeed become a <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cgreat nation\u201d<\/i> numbering around 2 million people!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See Exodus 38:26)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">As God\u2019s amazing blessing to Abram continues we hear the Lord promise that His divine protection would serve like an umbrella for Abram.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>God Himself would <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cbless\u201d<\/i> those who bless Abram.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>God Himself would <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201ccurse\u201d<\/i> those who curse Abram.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But the greatest most amazing part of the blessing which God gave to Abram is found at the end of verse three:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201c\u2026and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.\u201d<\/i> <\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">The most amazing part of God\u2019s blessing to Abraham is that the Savior promised in the Garden of Eden would be a direct descendant of Abraham.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s why Matthew\u2019s genealogy of Jesus begins with father Abraham.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See Matthew 1:2)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s why Luke\u2019s genealogy of Jesus goes back through Abraham (Luke 3:33) to Adam!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See Luke 3:37)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">What an amazing blessing, my friends!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>God <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">promised<\/b> a 75 year old man who had no children with his wife Sarai that one of his descendants would be the Savior of the world and that everyone who believes in this descendant of Abraham would be <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cblessed\u201d <\/i>by the God of heaven Himself.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Of course, from our vantage point as New Testament Christians we know that this <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cblessing\u201d<\/i> includes the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Our text for today then is a good example of why in my mind God\u2019s amazing grace and God\u2019s amazing blessings go hand-in-hand!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">While we know from other portions of Scripture that Abraham was indeed a man of faith (See Genesis 15:6; Hebrews 11:8) God\u2019s amazing blessing to Abraham also included something visual, something very tangible for Abraham to hold onto.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Look at verse 7 of our text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>God led Abram from <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cUr of the Chaldeans\u201d <\/i>(Genesis 11:28) which we think was in southern Iraq to the land of Canaan in modern-day Israel.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then God gave this amazing blessing to Abram, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cThe L<\/i><\/span><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"layout-grid-mode:line\">ORD<\/span><\/i><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"> appeared to Abram and said, \u2018To your offspring I will give this land.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Some 600 years later the descendants of Abraham under the leadership of Joshua were indeed given the Promised Land of Canaan\u2014 in fulfillment of the promise the Lord made to Abraham here in our text.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">It is certainly not hard for us to see, my friends, that the blessings which the Lord bestowed on Abraham are indeed nothing short of amazing.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>What was Abraham\u2019s response to God\u2019s amazing blessings?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Look at verses 7 &amp; 8 of our text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We\u2019re told that Abram built an altar to the Lord and <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201ccalled on the name of the L<\/i><\/span><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"layout-grid-mode:line\">ORD<\/span><\/i><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The Hebrew word that is translated here in our text as <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201ccalled on\u201d<\/i> carries with it two emphases.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>First, this Hebrew word can be translated as <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cworship.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Abraham\u2019s response to God\u2019s amazing blessings was to <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cworship\u201d<\/i> his Lord and Savior!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Secondly, that same Hebrew word can be translated as <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cproclaim.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Abraham\u2019s response to God\u2019s amazing blessing was also to <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cproclaim the name of the L<\/i><\/span><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"layout-grid-mode:line\">ORD<\/span><\/i><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"> to the Canaanites.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Think about it, my friends.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Abraham openly proclaimed to the unbelieving peoples round him who the Lord is and what the Lord had promised!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Why?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Because Abraham understood what the Lord meant when He said, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201c\u2026<b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">all<\/b> peoples on earth will be blessed through you.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Abraham knew that the Savior whom God had promised in the Garden of Eden, Abraham knew that the Savior whom God had now revealed would be one of Abraham\u2019s descendants would indeed be <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">the<\/i><\/b> Savior for <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">all<\/i><\/b> mankind!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That amazing blessing led Abraham to <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cworship\u201d<\/i> his God.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That amazing blessing led Abraham to <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cproclaim\u201d<\/i> his God to the people around him!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">While you might think that we could simply end right here there is one more extremely important point that I need to share with you today.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That point is this:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>You are also recipients of God\u2019s amazing blessings, my friends.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>First and foremost God in His amazing grace has made you a true descendant, a true child of father Abraham!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In Romans 9 Paul writes, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cFor not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham\u2019s children.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>On the contrary, \u2018It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.\u2019<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In other words, it is not the natural children who are God\u2019s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham\u2019s offspring.\u201d<\/i> (Romans 9:6-8)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">God\u2019s amazing blessing to you, my friends, centers in the fact that purely out of God\u2019s amazing grace God has created in your heart the gift of saving faith.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This precious gift of faith was created in your heart when God the Holy Spirit brought you to faith in Jesus as your Savior either through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism or through the power of God\u2019s holy Word.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This precious gift of faith is what makes you a true child of father Abraham.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This precious gift of faith guarantees that you are numbered among God\u2019s \u201cChosen People\u201d!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See 1 Peter 2:9)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This precious gift of faith means that God was thinking of <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">you<\/i><\/b> when He said in His blessing to Abraham, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201c\u2026<b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">all<\/b> peoples on earth will be blessed through you.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Since you <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">are<\/b> a true child of Abraham does that mean that you can lay claim to God\u2019s amazing blessing of the Promised Land?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Absolutely!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>What we need to remember, however, is that the earthly Promised Land of Canaan was but a picture, a shadow, of the ultimate Promised Land to which you and I do lay claim.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It is the Promised Land of heaven!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See Hebrews 8:5; 11:8-16)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">In reality, my friends, God\u2019s amazing blessings to you are far more numerous than we could ever recount here today.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Perhaps a good way to wrap up this sermon then is to encourage you to follow the example that father Abraham gives to us here in our text for today.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When you stop to consider all of God\u2019s amazing blessings to you\u2014 blessings that are yours through faith in what God\u2019s Son has accomplished for you on the cross (Pointing to the cross) \u2014 how will you respond?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I pray that like father Abraham your response to God\u2019s amazing blessings will center on both worshiping the Lord your God as well as proclaiming His Name to others!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">To God be the glory!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Amen<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"postie-attachments\">Download sermon audio ::  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Lent-2-03-08-20.mp3\">Lent-2-03-08-20.MP3<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Second Sunday in Lent March 8, 2020 Genesis 12:1-8 The Amazing Season of Lent\u2014 God\u2019s Amazing Blessings! &nbsp; The LORD had said to Abram, &#8220;Leave your country, your people and your father&#8217;s household and go to the land I will show you.&nbsp; I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}