Introduction:

1. Few characters occupy as much space in the bible as Abraham.

2. His pliability and willingness to persevere in serving God set him apart.

Discussion:

I. Father Abraham

A. Abraham occupies the better part of Genesis 12-25.

B. His initial call included grand promises from God (12:1-3), the greatest of which was the blessings to come on all people through him.

C. He became the father of the faithful (Romans 4:11-16; Galatians 3:6-9, 29).

II. A Trusting Faith

A. God called Abraham to do some heavy things:

1. He was to leave his home and family (Genesis 12:1; Hebrews 11:8-10).

2. He was to sacrifice his son of promise (Genesis 22; Hebrews 11:17-19)

B. What unflinching trust must one have to take such risks in service?

III. An Obedient Faith

A. Abraham put saving faith on display throughout his life.

B. By faith Abraham obeyed God’s commands regardless how demanding.

C. As James put it, his faith was perfected by his deeds (James 2:21-24).

IV. A Growing Faith

A. Abraham had moments of weakness in his faith:

1. Fear (despite God’s promises) led him to deceive people about his relationship to Sarah twice (Genesis 12:11-20; 20:1-18).

2. In haste, he and Sarah tried to “help” God fulfill the promise of a son through Hagar (Genesis 16:1-4; 17:17-18).

B. By God’s grace, his faith was allowed to grow until he no longer doubted God’s promises (Romans 4:18-22; Hebrews 11:17-19).

C. The same was true for the apostles (Matthew 8:25-26; Acts 4:13).

1. Because Abraham did not give up on God, God saw him through.

2. He grew into the father of the faithful.

3. We are his offspring if we have a trusting, obedient, growing faith in God.

4. Faith is a marathon, not a sprint, so let’s grow in our faith as Abraham did (2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:8; 3:18).