3/27/22 - The Call Of God - Genesis 12:1-3 - Pastor Jason Fritz

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the meaning of the word genesis. As you can see, it contains the word gene. Essentially these mean the same thing. So there’s no surprise when the first three verses of chapter 12 give us a major piece of DNA code unlocking the entire Bible.   Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3   God gives Abram his calling in life. He also makes a promise to Abram and forms it into a covenant between the two of them. It actually turns out to be a one-sided covenant because God uses himself as collateral.   Notice that God blesses Abram and then tells him that he will be a blessing to others. The call of God on one’s life means you will influence others because it gives your life mission. You are changed so others can be changed by you. You ask, “How can I be a blessing?” God says the same thing to you as he said to Abram, "Go forth!" Get out of your security and comfort zones.   The place where you feel most uncomfortable is the place where you will feel most useful. You have people in your life who need you to tell them about Jesus and you are afraid. You don’t want to be criticized, or made to look bad, so therefore you are not a blessing to them. You’ve been asked to participate in a community group but you think that talking to others about your life just isn’t your thing. You won’t receive the blessing of being known and you won’t be a blessing if you continue to play it safe. We have many opportunities to serve inside and outside our walls. But that takes time and effort. To the degree that you are willing to get uncomfortable, it is to that degree you will experience the blessings of being a Godly influence.   Paul talks about Abraham (Abram) often when explaining what it means to be a Christian. Greek and Romans were coming to Christ, but the very first Christians were Jews and they thought it best if the Greeks and Romans became Jewish Christians. Paul tells them they have it wrong. There are no Greek Christians or Roman Christians or Jewish Christians. There are Christians who are Jewish, there are Christians who are Greek, there are Christians who are Romans. God is the God of all races and cultures. This was a revolutionary idea in its day. So being a Christian actually means that all identities are subjected to your identity in Christ. This includes our gender, our sexuality and our birth places. We cannot be Americans first and then Christians, or white or black or brown first, and then Christian. The call of God says you can be a blessing to all people, when you are a Christian first. Christians don’t abandon their cultures, they gain an even stronger identity in Christ. This identity is our true calling. We are blessed to be a blessing!