Abraham was Called Out

the first "by faith" attributed to Abraham. Unlike the previous cases we have covered, Hebrews 11 provides more details and particulars about Abraham's faith by recording various specific events or behaviors that demonstrate his faith. For this week, we will study how Abraham's first faith caused him to obey God by leaving his homeland and his father's house, despite not knowing where God was taking him. The specific background material for our sermon text is from Genesis 11:27-12:9, which I recommend reading beforehand. Abram is from a prominent family descended from Shem and God leads him on a journey from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan before telling him that Canaan would be the inheritance for his descendants. If we view Abraham's faith as a type of how faith grows in a person, then this week's passage shows us that the earliest outworking of that faith produces obedience, the putting off of the old life and its idolatries, and trusting in God.