Today’s Bulletin
OUTLINE
I. From Fear to Faith Through the Word of God (v.1-6)
A. God tells Abe, “I got you” (v.1)
B. Abe, “But I got no kids” (v. 2-3)
C. Star Gazing Promises (v.4-5)
D. Justified By Faith (v. 6; Romans 4:3)
II. A Bloody Covenant (v.7-21)
A. Abe Seeking Confirmation (v.7-8)
B. The Strange Obedience Of Splitting Animals (v.9-11)
C. A Dreadful & Great Darkness (v.12-16)
D. The Covenant Confirmation (v.17-21)
Genesis 15
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
Sermon Discussion questions
Stary Eyed Faith: Genesis 15
Ice Breaker: What's the most awe-inspiring experience you've had looking up at the night sky? OR What's one thing in your life that you had to wait patiently for over a long period of time?
This Week Specific
The sermon highlights that fear is one of the most common human experiences addressed in Scripture. What are some of the fears or anxieties you are currently struggling with? How can focusing on God's promises and trusting in His character help alleviate those fears?
Abram is presented as a model for how we can honestly express our doubts, frustrations and anxieties to God in prayer. Why is it important to bring our whole selves, including the difficult emotions, before the Lord? How can doing so strengthen our faith?
The passage emphasizes that Abram's righteousness came through faith, not works. How can resting in the finished work of Christ free us from striving to earn our own righteousness? What does it look like practically to live by grace through faith?
God made a unilateral, unconditional covenant with Abram, promising blessings despite Abram's inability to uphold his end. How does this foreshadow the new covenant in Christ? What assurance can we take from God's faithfulness depicted here? What’s that mean for you personally?
The sermon connects this passage to the means of grace - Scripture, prayer and the sacraments. How can actively engaging with these means strengthen your faith and apprehension of God's promises? What steps could you take to prioritize the means of grace in your life?
Weekly Questions
What stood out to you/challenged you most in this sermon?
What’s one area you feel the Lord wants to grow you into more Christ likeness?
How can this group pray for you this week?