Factors That Form Fathers

NOTES FROM A SERMON PRESENTED BY DR. GREG SLOOP AT THE KANNAPOLIS CHURCH OF GOD ON SUNDAY, June 16, 2019 IN THE 10:30 am SERVICE.  FOR VIDEO OF SERVICES, GO TO THE CHURCH WEBSITE, HTTP://WWW.KCOG.ORG, AND CLICK ON THE LIVESTREAM LINK FOR A REPLAY OF THE SERVICES.  FOR AUDIO OF THE SERVICES, GO THE THE WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE MEDIA PAGE.

Lessons from the Life of Father Abraham

5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Genesis 17:5–8 (NKJV)

Factors

• Nature (DNA, Inherited Traits)
• Nurture (Culture, Environment, Family, Friends)
• Triumphs (Education, Career Success, Satisfying Work, Milestones)
• Tragedies (Failures, Losses [Death, Family Trouble, Financial Ruin)
• Spiritual Heritage (Your Forefathers and Yours)

Nature/Nurture

27 This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. 28 And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. 32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

Genesis 11:27–32 (NKJV)

Nature

• Terah passed down certain innate or genetic traits.
  • Terah had a procreative spirit.  He was a father and begat three sons.  He lost one (Haran) in Ur.
  • Terah was an adventurer.  He left Ur and headed for Canaan.
  • Terah was fearful.  He got hung up in Haran and died there.
  • These natural characteristics of Terah were handed down to Abram (later called Abraham).

Nurture

• Abraham had Terah’s genes, but he also saw Terah’s actions.
  • He witnessed Terah’s reaction to the loss of a son.
  • He witnessed Terah’s bold initiation of a complete life restart, charting a course from Ur to Canaan.
  • He also witnessed Terah’s paralyzing fear that kept him from reaching Canaan, instead dying in Haran.

Triumphs

• Abraham amassed wealth and favor as he journeyed toward Canaan.
• Abraham waged and successfully completed a military action against the kings allied with Chedorlaomer and recovered his nephew Lot and all their goods.
• Abraham finally had a son, Isaac, by his wife Sarah.
• During a test from God, Abraham saw God provide a sacrifice (ram) miraculously to spare his son Isaac.
• Abraham got to see the land his descendants would inhabit.

Tragedies

• Abraham suffered the loss of his brother and his father and his nephew’s wife before reaching the promised land of Canaan.
• Abraham got crossed up in a love triangle and suffered the consequences.
• Abraham lost his wife about fifty years before he died.

Spiritual Heritage

• Abraham, we believe, had a father who led him to trust and believe in God.
• Abraham had an experience with God.
  • Genesis 12:1–3 (NKJV) – 12:1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
• Abraham entered in covenant with God and received His blessings.
  • Genesis 17:1–2 (NKJV) – 17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
• Abraham raised up a Godly son who carried on the heritage of faith.
  • Genesis 25:11 (NKJV) 11 And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

Takeaway Thoughts

• God has called you to be a man worthy of followers
• Don’t let your nature or your nurture keep you from success
• Use your traits and experiences for the good of those who follow you
• Turn your triumphs and tragedies into tools for helping others
• Don’t let the past rob you of a great future!