Faith & Fear

Redemption Hill Church

Sermons

Faith & Fear

Genesis 11:27-12:20

August 20, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 11:27—12:20

In the coming weeks we will embark on a journey into Genesis 12-25 and trace Abraham’s life.

Abraham is the Patriarch for the world’s three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Abraham is called the “man of faith” because he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Abraham believed the promises of God enough to leave his place and people to go to the place God promised to show him. It wasn’t easy, though. Throughout Abraham’s journey we see times marked by fear and failure, long-suffering anticipation and sorrow, and times when he tried to make God’s plan happen in his own strength.

For all who follow Christ, Abraham’s story is our story. Abraham is a key figure in Redemptive History, the one God called to be the father of nations, and through whom all people would be blessed. Scripture often calls him “the man of faith,” and he is the father for all who believe (Gal. 3:7-9). And so, Father Abraham is our shared ancestor we are sons and daughters of the man of faith.

On Sunday we begin with Genesis 11:27-12:20. As our story begins, we meet Abram and Sarai (their names get tweaked later on). In a major step of faith, Abram and Sarai heard God’s call to leave all they had and all they knew to go to a place that God would show them, with the promise that God would do great things through them. Their faith in following God’s initial call didn’t hold up perfectly, though. When famine hit, Abram spiraled into a series of bigger and bigger mistakes. Right at the top of this Journey of Faith, we are confronted with the competing tension of faith and fear. Like Abram and Sarai, we have heard God’s promises, but reality can make it hard to believe.

End of the Road

December 17, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 25

As we close our series, Abraham: Journey of Faith, we come to Genesis 25:1-11, Abraham’s death. Like Sarah’s death, it feels kind of sudden after so much story and time together. There are some interesting details in the passage that we will look into. Most of our time, though, will be spent looking at Abraham’s life. We will look at his importance and place in Redemptive History, God’s plan for redeeming humanity and renewing and restoring all things. And we will see how Abraham points us to Advent, the longing, waiting, and anticipation of what God would ultimately accomplish in the coming of Christ.

Mission Impossible

December 10, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 24

This is a long chapter, but we’re going to cover it in one go. I encourage you to take the time to read it between now and Sunday so you can come in with some familiarity. After Sarah’s death, Abraham realized that it was time to find a wife for his son, Isaac. He sent his servant on a journey that led to an intriguing encounter at a well with a young girl name Rebekah. The chapter shows us something of God’s care and will for us. In Abraham’s Journey of Faith there have been a lot of ups and downs. He finally came to the point of complete surrender and God was faithful to provide exactly what was needed. Everyone else in the story shows steps of faith as well, showing us the beauty and freedom we can have in self-surrender.

Eulogy for Sarah

December 3, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 23

This chapter details the legal negotiations and contract for a piece of land containing a cave in Hebron. At first reading it might feel boring to most. With a closer look, though, we can come to realize that this is the first piece of the land God promised to Abraham that was secured as Abraham’s own, and at a high price. Our focus on Sunday, though, will be Sarah. The reason Abraham bought the land with the cave was to bury his wife, the Matriarch of the Promise, after her death. On Sunday we will take a look at Sarah’s life as a whole, and lessons we can learn from her, in a kind of Eulogy for Sarah.