BYF DAY 2018 : SESSION 3
ORDER OF SERVICE
Praise and worship : Worship Team
Offertory prayer : Upa T Tuanmuanthang
BYF Chairman’s message : H Tunkhanmuan
Special item : BYF Choir
Sermon : Pastor H Biakson
Benediction : Upa Ngulminthang
A LIFE OF BLESSING
Abraham, the eldest son of Terah, had two brothers – Nahor and Haran, and they lived in Haran, a city in present day Turkey. They belonged to a wealthy household, but Abraham’s father worshipped idols. God’s calling of Abraham [Genesis 12:1-3] came as a command to leave his father’s household and the city of Haran and to go to the place that God would show. Abraham set out for Canaan with his wife Sarah and Lot, the son of his late brother Haran. The promise made by God to Abraham was a ‘package deal’ that included the promise of “territorial blessing” – Abraham would be given land; “national blessing” – Abraham would be made the father of a great nation; and “individual blessing” – Abraham’s name would be made great, he would made a blessing to others, and he would be protected by God!
A life of blessing is a life of total separation from the old ways of life. This demands courage and determination because the old life can be really hard to put behind. Abraham was Terah’s eldest son, and would have naturally inherited his father’s wealth. However, his father’s house and the city they lived in was not a place that knew God. Therefore, Abraham had to let go of the security and comfort of his father’s household because that very household had become a hindrance to the fulfillment of God’s design and promise. A life of blessing is a life of total trust and obedience. Trust and obedience are interconnected – those who see God as He is dare trust in Him, and those who are used by God are those who obey Him. A life of blessing is a life of communion with God. Abraham built altars regularly to keep his communion with God going. A life of blessing is one that overflows with love and goodwill towards others. It is a life of selflessness, of giving and of living for others. Abraham was all ready to give his only son Isaac because he loved God more than he loved his own son. As the saying goes, it is more blessed to give than to receive. In the end, Abraham received the acknowledgement of God and the blessing of God to bring forth a great and prosperous nation that would number the stars in the sky and the sands on the seashore.
