The Seed of Abraham
A Sermon on Genesis 12:1-4
Originally preached Nov. 20, 1955
Scripture
1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name …
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Genesis 12:1–4 titled “The Seed of Abraham,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how all humanity’s troubles throughout history have arisen from its rebellion against God. Before this pagan backdrop, the life of Abraham shines as an example of what it looks like to live a life of faith. The Lord called Abram out of his old way of life, offering him His friendship and untold blessing. Abram responded, leaving everything, and becoming a sojourner in this world. Do today’s Christians have the same confidence in the word of God? Abram’s world was exactly the same as today, and God requires the same response to His call—a call to repentance, seeing that the life one lives is against God, and doesn't have a foundation. There is a glorious type of life possible, not based on uncertainties or works, but a life based on the Son of God who gives peace with God. That was the offer made to Abram and it is the offer made to today. Come out of the old life and follow the call of God, through life and death, and even into the everlasting bliss of His kingdom.
Sermon Breakdown
- The world was created by God, not by chance or accident.
- Man sinned and rebelled against God, falling under the dominion of the devil.
- God pronounced judgment on man's sin but also promised a redeemer.
- God called Abraham out of paganism to follow Him, promising to make him into a great nation and bless the world through him.
- Abraham believed God and obeyed, leaving his home and kindred behind to follow God into the unknown.
- Abraham looked forward to the eternal city of God, not the temporal cities of man.
- We must believe what God says about life without Him, repent, and follow Christ as Abraham did.
- If we follow Christ, God will forgive us, give us new life, and lead us to eternal life with Him.
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.