“From Ulster Plantation to the Carolina’s with the Gospel!” *
Russell H. McCullough / Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210
www.archdale.org / gospelcall.blogspot.com - Date:
Text: Genesis 12.1 – 3; Acts 7.1 - 8
Thesis: God can, and will, bless our descendants by
faith as did our Father Abraham before us.
1
Introduction
A. Abram was first called in Ur of the Chaldeans
B. Abram and his family were polytheistic pagans
1) Ur was the center of the
worship of the moon god
2) Joshua 24.1 – 3
3) God did more than just
“call” Abram, He APPEARED to
Abram!
a. Acts 7.2
C. Abram not only followed God, he convinced his family to go
with him!
1) Genesis
11.31 – 32
2) His
family was extended even unto his nephew Lot.
D. Abram’s faithfulness to God’s call was rife with
incredulity!
1) He had
to leave his country
a.
Ur was the center of the known world at the time
2) He had
to leave a good portion of his family
3) He had
to leave his father’s house
a.
He had to leave whatever blessing was his as his
older
brother, the heir, had just died leaving him the
heir
to his father’s house.
4) He had
to wrest control of the family from his father
In order to
lead this familial band in an unheard of journey
To unknown
places!
E. Faith has its reward!
1)
Salvation is the most self-serving thing one will ever do!
F. The rewards are in the promise.
2
Reward
One: (12.1) I will show you!
A. I will show you the way
B. I will show you the truth
C. I will show you the life
3
Reward
Two: (12.2) I will make of you a great nation!
A.
God
makes patriarchs and progenitors
1) Patriarch:
“Founder…the oldest member or representative of a group.” MWOLD
2) Progenitor: “A person
who begins something.” MWOLD
B.
God
will make Abram a nation
1)
His
legacy is assured by the number of descendants
2)
His
legacy will be numerous
C.
Not
only will God make Abram numerous, He will make him GREAT!
1)
Father
of the faithful
2)
Father
of a nation
3)
Father
of a Great Nation
4)
Father
of the Land Promise
5)
Father
of the child of promise
6)
Father
of the Christ
7)
Ruler
of the Bosom
4
Reward
Three: I will bless you and make your name GREAT
A. Abram will bring fear into the hearts of the kings of
Canaan
B. Abram will bring fear into the heart of Pharaoh himself!
C. Abram will sweep his enemies before him in battle
D. Abram will receive a blessing from the greatest king – the
king and priest of Salem, Melchizedec
5. Reward Four: I will make YOU a blessing
a. He blesses Lot by saving him
b. He blesses the kings of the
Canaanites by defeating their
enemies.
c. He blesses himself by serving God
first and only
d. He blesses all nations by his
faithfulness
5
The
Meaning of the Text – Abram and faithfulness are one in the same!
A. By faith God showed Abram the way
B. By faith God made of Abram a great nation
C. By faith God made great the name of Abram
D. By faith God made Abram a blessing to others
6
The
Challenge of the Text is this: Will we become a FATHER ABRAHAM in our day the
time?
A.
Will
we, by faith like Father Abraham, allow God to show us the way?
B. Will we be, like Father Abraham, a progenitor of a great
people?
C. Wil we, like Abraham, honor the Holy Name of God and He in
turn our name?
D. Will we, like Father Abraham, be a blessing to all others?
7
“The
Gospel Call”
·
My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was
rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County
Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book
of his time; Gaston’s Collections. It
allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.” Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died
prematurely of the measles. He is buried
just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting
House Cemetery.” Uncle Hugh continues
to inspire my ministry to this very day.
You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston
Ruins photo courtesy of:
ballywillanpci.org.
·
On Friday night, August 5, 2016 Russ will
dramatically portray the life and times of his 5th Great
grandfather, John “Justice” Gaston entitled; “A Patriot of the Revolution.” A
portion of the event will cover also the life and times of his brother, Hugh
Gaston. The event will take place at the
Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210 at 7
p.m. The public is invited to this free
presentation.
