The Call of Abram – Pentecost 16 September 16, 2018 Genesis 12:1-9
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The Call of Abram – Pentecost 16 September 16, 2018 Genesis 12:1-9 I have a tee shirt. It has the words, “You Gotta’ Believe” printed on it. Below the words is a picture of a Green Bay Packers helmet. It would have been a great item to sell after last Sunday’s game, don’t you think? There would have been one problem, however. Under the helmet are the words, “2003 NFL Playoffs”. Do you remember the 2003 NFL playoffs? Does “4th and 26” mean anything to you? All the Packers needed to do was keep the Philadelphia Eagles from getting 26 or more yards on that one play and they would have been in the next round. But . I guess there was a cost of believing; time, emotional energy, money, especially if you bought a shirt. (The tee cost $12.99. I bought it on clearance after the game of $3.25.) Believing often requires investment. If you believe it’s going to rain you may need to invest time in finding your umbrella and the energy to carry it with you. If you believe there’s a better parking spot in the next row you may need to invest the time to get there, the gasoline to drive your car a little further and the frustration that may occur if someone gets the space before you do. If you believe the robotic voice on the phone that tells you Microsoft is going to shut down your computer you may need to press one, give up your time and the number on your charge card. (Don’t believe that one!) Abram believed. It had to be difficult. He and his wife Sarai were both 75 years old. They were comfortably settled in their home in Haran. They didn’t have children, but they were surrounded by relatives and friends. And then God entered the picture. A new land, enough descendants to form a nation, and God’s economic blessing; those were the promises of God. Abram and Sarai would need to make an investment. Abram and Sarai would need to give up their time; in this case the rest of their lives. They would need to give up possessions; in this case there was only so much they could take with them. They would need to use all the energy; the elderly couple would need to up all they had to follow where God led. They made the investment and they were blessed. God led them to a new land. He gave them a son they named Isaac. Isaac had two sons. One was named Jacob. He would also be known as Israel. That would become the name of the land and the nation. And, through Abram all nations were blessed. Out of Israel came the Son of God. His name was Jesus. Abram made the investment called for by believing. It was God who made the ultimate investment. God invested his time and energy by creating the world and the people who would live in it. He invested his interest by blessing Abram, later to be known as Abraham, and making him a nation. And he invested in us by blessing us with his Son. Jesus came into this world and spent his time showing us and telling us about God’s love. He invested himself in the lives of others, even to the point he was willing to suffer and die for us. And, raised from the dead, Jesus gives us forgiveness, life now and beyond this life, and the unconditional love that is with us now and forever. We can let go of the past and live free from the mistakes of the past. We can let go of worry and fear and know God is with us always. We can live in the promise of God’s love. We can do this because we are blessed in the ability to believe in Jesus. And here’s what is different in this relationship. When we believe we often need to invest. When we believe in what God has invested for us, we respond. We aren’t required to spend our time, energy and possessions to receive forgiveness, life and love. We want to! We can’t help but give and share and care and love because we are loved. And when we give and share and care and love, we become a blessing to others. I don’t know if you noticed in the lesson today, but Abram built a lot of altars. Everywhere he went he seemed to build an altar. What was the purpose? The purpose was to show that he know God was with him. Abram wanted to show that he remembered the promises of God and God’s presence in his life. We have an altar in this place. We remember God’s promises and presence. We remember that God is with us, especially in the bread and the wine. Jesus gives himself to us in this altar meal. We also have a baptismal font. Today Aiden and Brantley are promised that they are his children and he is with them now and always. And we have the cross. Today the two boys are marked with the sign of the cross. The cross is the ultimate promise that, through Jesus, we have God’s love now and forever, whether there is an altar or not. I have another shirt. I bought it last year. It’s an Aaron Rodgers hoody. It was really cheap after his season ending injury. I like the message better that the “You Gotta’ Believe” message. The shirt shares the advice Rodgers gave to Packer fans: “Relax”. In the words of the Apostles’ Creed we will share what we believe. And, as a result of what we believe, we can follow the guidance of our leader who said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” When we listen to Jesus, we have good reason to relax . and to give and share and care and love . and we can be and will be a blessing to the world. AMEN .