TAKING GROUND: 2 - A Man's/Father's Role
TITLE: A Father’s Role
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 12:1–5 (ESV) Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan.
Platforming of Joseph
Vision
Trial = Preparation/Positioning
Moment of Platforming
Taking Ground - The PLAN to save a nation from famine
As a Church:
God has platformed us - opportunity to own ground
Taking Ground
Secure it $
Make it ours - hard work and $ (99th St Edition)
Last Sunday of this month
3 weeks in and amazing results
Bigger work will be the next three years
Discover T-shirts in the connex
SLIDE A Man/Father KNOWS* God
Genesis 12:1 (ESV) Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
Galatians 4:8–9 (ESV) Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God...
More than factual - experiential
Revelation
Waliking it out, making mistakes, growing
Abram was a man who knew God
A consistent growing relationship that impacted him
It also impacted his family.
As a man, this needs to be you.
Consistent in your posture toward God
Consistent in your spiritual disciplines
Consistent in your engagement in church life
Consistent in serving
Consistent in your pursuit of the resources to do all of that.
This is important for you, but more important for your family
Imperfect but they know there is always a reset
They know you are anchored to the ONE
They know you have access to supernatural help
The know you have a divine favor
SLIDE A Man/Father Is Responsible To See His Ground
Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV) Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
It’s the responsibility of Adam/Abram/Men to see and hear what ground is to be taken and to lead the journey well. Without God, you're not taking ground. You’re camping.
QUESTION - A wife/children can get a vision of their own but it’s the husband's responsibility to confirm it (complimentary) and take responsibility for it.
Great leaders see what could/should be - on earth as it already is in heaven!
Illus: struggling to see the future of the church - now seeing
SLIDE A Man/Father Leads His Family To Take Ground. He needs to determine how to get there.
Right person, right seat
Trial and error
Hearing from God every time
Exodus 13:21–22 (ESV) And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
Joshua 6:2–3 (ESV) And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. You will start off thinking you are taking your ground as your family comes with you, but you will discover you are taking them to their ground so they can take it.
Philippians 3:12 (NIV) Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.