Believe and Fear Not
This message is brought to you by Pastor Vincent Dinh

Scripture(s): Genesis 11:31; 12:1-8; 13:1-5; 20:1-13; Proverbs 29:25; 14:26

Question: What is God developing in me as I am waiting on his blessing and response?

Let’s look at the early stages of Abram’s spiritual journey and identify what God is developing in him and learn what God is doing in us.

I. God Always Brings the Blessing
At the beginning of Abraham's Journey, God starts with a declaration of blessing in Gen 12:1-3

a.Trifecta blessing = I will make you into a great nation, give you an influential name, and all families on earth will be blessed through you. Dependent on 4 key words “I WILL BLESS YOU”.

b.This blessing is a “surprise” to Abram. Why?
i. Terah was the “first choice” for the assignment to go into Canaan. He settled in Haran and died there. (Gen 11:31)
ii.Terah never pronounced the blessing over Abram, as a father should do, before he died. (Traditionally, the father’s blessing provides direction & purpose. Isaac blessed Jacob & Esau, and Jacob blessed his 11 sons and the sons of Joseph.) Thus, God had to directly bless Abram (Gen 12:1)

II. God Deals with Fear in Abram
After worshipping God at Shechem (Gen 12:6-7), famine drove his family into Egypt.

This famine is used by God to deal with an issue of FEAR in Abram’s family.
a. Abram’s fear: He and Sarai negotiated to deal with the extraordinary beauty that she has (Gen 13 & Gen 20:11-13) – “at every place to which we come, say of me“He is my brother”.

b. Why does God deal with this fear?
Fear puts the cap on our capacity to follow God and limits the impact God could have on the world through us.

c.Abram returns to the place where he first worshipped God (Gen 13.3). Time for soul repentance and letting God rewire him spiritually.

III.There are two FEAR BELIEFS that shape us – the fear of man and the fear of God. (Proverbs 29:25, 14:26)
a. God rewires Abram to go deeper into the fear or reverence for God on a continuous basis.

b. We need to identify what current fear beliefs we allow to live within us, within our families.

c. We need to ask God to rewire us as we call upon the name of the Lord, as Abram did in Gen 13.