Mt Pulaski Christian Church Sermon Audio

The Gospel Story, The Beginning: The Covenant Blessing with Abraham || Genesis 12:1-7

·25 min·2 clips

Have you ever tried to call down misfortune on someone, like the Hebrew word 'arar' describes?

The episode begins with a reading of Genesis 12:1-7, where God commands Abram to leave his homeland and promises to bless him and make him a great nation. The speaker immediately poses a question about whether listeners have ever cursed someone, introducing two Hebrew words: 'kalal' (cussing someone out) and 'arar' (calling down misfortune). He explains that God's curses in the Old Testament, such as those on Adam, Eve, Cain, and Canaan, are not merely punitive but corrective responses to broken relationships due to disobedience. A humorous illustration about nose plugs and stink bombs is used to analogize how curses affect communities. The sermon then shifts to blessings, noting that children obey parents for three reasons: fear of punishment, desire for rewards, and love. Abraham is highlighted as an example of obedience for rewards, as he leaves everything at age 75 based on God's promise. His story includes God's command to sacrifice Isaac, which the speaker connects to Jesus's crucifixion on the same mountain, emphasizing that this fulfills the promise that all families will be blessed through Abraham. The speaker references the bronze serpent story from Exodus, where God heals those who look at it, and links it to John 3:14-16, where Jesus compares himself to the serpent. Paul's words in Galatians 3:10-13 are cited to show that Christ became a curse to redeem humanity. The message concludes with practical applications: listeners are urged to believe in the cross, share their faith, and participate in church ministries. Communion is framed as a reminder of Jesus's broken body and shed blood, mending broken relationships. The speaker ends with a prayer thanking God for using curses and blessings to lead people to obedience through love.

As heard by us

A direct Genesis sermon that links Abram's call, Isaac, and the gospel with plain conviction.

The sermon opens with Genesis 12:1-7 and keeps close to Abram's call, the promise of blessing, and the altar at Shechem. It then widens into a gospel reading of Abraham's obedience, moving from his departure at 75 to the later test involving Isaac and pressing God's larger…

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Why you'd press play

You want Genesis 12, a clear obedience arc, and a sermon that ends in prayer and communion.

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