1. Genesis 12 God Initiates a Covenant with Abram Pastor Craig B. Key, Sr. Living Word Bible Fellowship

2. God called Abram out of the big city, out of a pagan culture into a new life with Him. God told Abram to leave everything that was familiar to him into the unknown; now thats FAITH Faith is basically moving off of what you believe and not what you see Heb. 11:1 (This is what faith is:) God promised to Abram three things, which were: Land Seed Blessing

3. Abram partially followed the command of the Lord, because he took his nephew Lot with him. A great principle hear is: Everyone cant go with you where the Lord is about to take you. Youve got to know how to let the Lots in your life go!!! Abram moved based upon the word of the Lord; the thing that we must remember is, if we are going to be successful in our Christian walk then we must move based upon the word of the Lord. God reaffirms with Abram, in verse 7, that he was in the place that God wanted him to be and because of his obedience to move by faith God was granting his descendants the land of Canaan Note that God didnt appear to Abram on the journey to Canaan, only when he got there to tell him Well done!!!

4. At this point Abram becomes an alter builder An alter builder is on who have come to the realization the worth of God. The have erected a high place unto the Lord for the sole purpose of worshipping the Lord; the question then becomes are you an alter builder? This alter then becomes a memorial of who the Lord is and what He has done at that particular time in that persons life. What was the last miraculous thing that the Lord did for you? Have you marked that place and lastly did you worship Him? As a matter of a fact, as you are thinking about it now, I dare you to stop and worship Him now!!!

5. It is a dangerous thing to be out of the will of God. When we look at Abram: The one who stepped out on faith Who just worship God The one who just left everything in Haran We see that he is now moving, totally and completely out of the will of God. Karen Clark-Sheard sang a song, years back, that said The safest place in the whole wide world is in the will of God. The word of God says in Prov. 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. A take away principle here is: Follow the leading of God (Holy Spirit)

6. Remember the game Follow the Leader; just remember that the word also says in John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. Everywhere in the bible Egypt is viewed as the world. What is your Egypt? That worldly thing that keeps calling you away from the things of God and where God called you to. As we move between verses 11-13, we see Abram being deceptive, conjuring up a lie and compromising who he is and pimping his wife.

7. But here is yet another question: How much are you willing to compromise with the world to get what you want? The amazing thing in all of this is that Sarai, Abrams wife, never went against the word of Abram. (Not that Abram was right in what he did) Now here is a real lesson in humility and submission. When we think about what Abram was doing, in the aspect of going down to Egypt to escape a famine, I'm sure he thought that he was doing the right thing but it was not a God initiated move. The bible says in Prov. 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But in the end is the way of death. We must understand that this is the same thing that happens to us when we walk apart from God-we mess things up.

8. Abram missed it, seriously!!! All because of fear The bible says in 2 Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. The messed up thing about Abrams fear is that God had already warned Him, in verse 3, I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you… Abram doubted God, not with his mouth, but with his actions. There is a saying that says Actions speak louder than words!!! Finally, in verses 17-20, we see that God, yet again gives Abram a lesson in His mercy (Mercy-not receiving the penalty due); while also showing Sarai His power to deliver.