Having a Relationship with God means coming to Him on his terms......vs. 1-8

Who He Is

I am - He exists

El - God, the one who lives in power
Shaddai - the one who has the power, strength, ability to deliver on his promises, reference to His omnipotence

What He requires

walk before me - emphasis on going somewhere together, to partner, depart and arrive together, escort, associate

and be another I am statement but related to us....

be blameless - without guilt, without fault, uprightly, without spot or blemish, fully....

it's an all in statement

Walk with me with a undivided heart, without doubt you are walking with the right God

When Abram bows before God....he is acknowledging that he is all in....

Who are you walking thru life with? Who is almighty to you?

Have you made that decision to walk along with God or in the opposite direction?

Because when we accept God's proposal, here is what he agrees to do.....

What will God do if we accept His proposal?

Makes a covenant - already established in chpt 15, now reaffirms his commitment tot he arrangement they already made....

I will make you a father of many nations

one characterized by
reproduction

of descendants
of kings
of nations

We possess the same potential make disciples of all nations....ethnic groups....

How many of our activities as a church are purposefully reproductive

I will establish my place as your God through a covenant

I will give you space to use forever, in which you can worship me - to be your God

God encourages us to make space for Him in our lives, to enjoy a place where we can worship Him

Embrace our new identity 5, 13

Abraham - father of many nations

Sarah - princess, queen, one with nobility

We have a new name written down in glory....
In the Lamb's book of life
Col 1:13 - 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
2 Cor 5:17 - Therefore if anyone be in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come

Face our unbelief - Both he and Sarah laughed at the idea of having a son.....and God saw to it that the name of their son was named Isaac, One who laughs.....

For the rest of Abraham and Sarah's life they would see the fruit of God's ability to do the impossible....

Release our plan - even as God is himself talking to Abraham, Abraham has not let go of his original plan and embraced God's

(Ilus. Anything you are still stubbornly hanging onto that God has asked you to let go of?)

Practice Obedience - act on what God has described

A relationship with God is in essence a series of daily weekly, annual practices.....

(Illus. I think of Phil 4 - if we put the these things into practice........the God of peace will be with us.....no practice, no peace)

Great is Thy Faithfulness.....?