We are in our series “Greater Things” and today I will share the fourth message and next Sunday I will conclude with the last message of the series.
Let’s read Genesis 11:27-32
“This is the history of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot. Haran died in his hometown, Ur of Babylonia, while his father Terah was still alive. Abram and Nahor both married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai. Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. Milcah was the daughter of Haran. Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah. Sarai did not have any children because she was not able to have children. Terah took his family and left Ur of Babylonia. They planned to travel to Canaan. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife). They traveled to the city of Haran and decided to stay there. Terah lived to be 205 years old. He died in Haran.”
Genesis 11:27-32
Most climbers do not give up at the start of their to climb, they are most likely to give up they are halfway through.
Most married people do not get divorced in the first week of marriage. Most marriages end up in divorce halfway through their marriage life.
People do not drop out of school after their first day of class. Most people drop out half way through.
Most people do not give up on their diet on the very first day. The vast majority give up on their diet halfway in.
Most Christians do not abandon their faith or their calling on the first day, but they give up in the middle of the way.
In the story we read, we see a man named Terah . He left a town called Ur and God wanted to take him to takeover a place named Canaan.
Canaan was the promised land. But Terah ended up staying in a place called Haran instead. He stayed in the middle. God wanted to bring him the promised land, but he never got there!
How many Christians left the world with the intension of reaching the promised land, but they end up staying halfway. Many had faith to begin with, but did not have enough faith to continue.
The Bible said that Terah left Ur towards Canaan, but he settled in Haran and died in Haran.
I’m here to tell you that the God who took you out of Ur wants to bring you all the way to Canaan.
It is interesting that from chapter 12 onwards the Bible does not mention Terah anymore, but it starts to talk about his son, Abraham. And now we’ll learn about the difference between Terah and Abraham. Abraham did not settle for Haran.
You should not settle in Haran when God has promised you Canaan. Do not settle down halfway through your journey, do not settle for half a blessing, do not settle for half the promise, do not settle for half the calling. God has bigger things for you, so do not stop before you reach the end.
Do not accept a mediocre life, God has greater things for you!
Since the beginning of this series I have urged you not to accept a mediocre life. The word “mediocre” is a word used by climbers.
The word “mediocre” comes from two words:
medio = half
Ocre = stone or mountain.
Mediocre is a person who only made it halfway to the summit of the mountain. Climbers say: He is mediocre because he did not reach the top. He only climbed half a mountain.
I’m here, sent to you by God to tell you: You’re not mediocre, you’ve started and you will see the end of it, you will not settle down in the middle of the way.
You will not stop halfway through to reaching your dream, you will not settle for half the promise, you will not give up in the middle of your calling, you have to get to the top, because you are not mediocre.
God has greater things for you, keep up. If you want bigger things you can not settle for little, you cannot stop and give up halfway up the mountain.
I do not want half a ministry, I do not want half a healing, I do not want half of my calling, I want everything that God promised me.
Do not settle down in Haran, do not stop and put up your tent in the middle of the way.
Genesis 12: 1,4,5
“The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family and go to the country that I will show you. So Abram left Haran just like the Lord said, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the slaves, and all the other things he had gotten in Haran. Then he and his group moved to the land of Canaan.”
Genesis 12:1, 4-5
First Point: Get out of your comfort zone
Abraham took the same path that Terah had once taken, he passed by Haran, but he did not settle in Haran, he decided to move on!
I am to tell you: Keep going, continue on, do not conform to unfinished businesses, God has bigger things for you!
The Bible says that Abraham prospered in Haran, he multiplied his goods but he did not settle down there, he knew that God had called him for something bigger, he knew his destiny was in Canaan.
Please do not settle down in the place and situation you find yourself in now! For this is a passing situation, a place of transit.
How many here want to get to their promised land?
Your Promised Land is never within your comfort zone.
If you want to get into your “Promised Land”, you have to leave your safe space.
Second point: Don’t give excuses
Many people do not reach their “promised land” because they give too many excuses. Abraham did not give excuses! He was 75 years old. He could have said: I’m too old for this, I have no strength left and I should stop and rest!
It’s never too early or too late to start walking towards your calling.
It is never too early or too late to go after God’s plans for your life.
What is your excuse to not serve God? What is your excuse to not become a cell leader? What is your excuse for not serving in the church? What is your excuse for not speaking about Jesus to the lost people around you?
Abraham never give any excuse, neither did he use his old age to ignore God’s calling. 75 years old.
If you are listening to my voice, if your heart is beating, if you have oxygen in your lungs, it means that God is not done with you yet!
God has great things for you! God has new territories, but they are out of your comfort zone. God has new opportunities for you, new experiences but they are all out of your comfort zone.
Third point: Do not stop halfway
Terah got out of Ur to go to Canaan but he settled down in Haran. Abraham left Haran to get to Canaan and the Bible says that he did reach Canaan.
You’re not a Terah, you’re an Abraham! You’re not going to stop halfway, you’ll get there. You cannot settle in the middle of your calling, halfway through your marriage, you cannot give up on the promise, you have to move forward for bigger things.
Fourth point: Do not let your short spiritual vision limit your destiny.
Abraham set his eyes on the promised land!
“Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.””
Genesis 15:5 NKJV
Terah’s problem was that he had a short vision, and his short spiritual vision limited his destiny. I have seen the same thing happening to many christians.
But this did not happen to Abraham. Abraham was in his tent when God said: Get out, look to heaven and count the stars, if you can! So shall your descendants be.
If you do not have a vision of your future, you will always return to your past!
Many Christians received promises of God but they lose their vision and end up missing out on the best of God.
In this series of messages God is telling you: “get out of your tent” He is challenging you: “look up to heaven, because I have greater things to you!”
God is taking you out from this place of pain, from discouragement, passivity, mediocrity. God is saying : I have more for you, I am not done with you, it is not time for you to stop yet.
God has new territories for you to conquer, He has new opportunities for you, you have to continue following the calling He has given you, do not settle for Haran.
You will never get anywhere if you don’t set your eyes on it first.
Example: Some of you are seeing me here, preaching, but I am standing in the vision that God gave me made years ago. I had a vision years back, and this vision does not stop here, because God has bigger things, if I stop here, I will lose out on what God promised me.
Never allow your current situation to blind your vision.
The pandemic was very hard for many people, it stole their vision. But today God wants to restore your vision. He wants you to have a clear vision, you will see every promise with clarity, every blessing and every place where God wants to take you. Never allow your current situation to blind your vision.
Fifth point: You need to have patience!
“Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.”
Genesis 21:5
Do you remember how old Abraham was when God gave him his promise? He was 75 when he first received the promise and he was 100 years old when he saw it first being fulfilled.
For 25 years Abraham not only had to have faith, but needed a lot of patience!
Most Christians do not fail to reach their potential for lack of faith, they fail because of their lack patience and humility. Most Christians do not lose their blessings for lack of faith, but for lack of patience and broken heart!
“You must be patient. After you have done what God wants, you will get what He promised you.”
Hebrews 10:36 ERV
With faith and patience we’ll reach our promises! It’s not enough to have faith, you need to have patience, humility and you must keep going!
Many have faith to plant the seed, but they have no patience to wait for the harvest!
Joseph had to wait for 13 years to get to the palace.
David had to wait for 17 years to be king.
Abraham waited for 25 years for promised child.
Moses waited for 40 years to restart his calling.
Faith is not enough , you must have patience and perseverance.
The bigger your dream or miracle, the bigger must your patience and humility be.
Last point: Get out of the place of your pain!
Terah had 3 children, one of his children was called Haran and Haran died! The place where he settled down was also called Haran.
Often when our faith is injured, we stay in that place of pain!
Terah lost a son who was called Haran, and in Haran he stayed! He stayed in that place of pain and never left it!
How many Christians were hurt in the past, and they forever stayed in that place of pain! They have no courage to leave this place.
We all were hurt along the way. We all lost something in this pandemic, we lost family members, we lost jobs, we lost opportunities, we lost trips, we lost money, we lost disciples and we lost dear friends.
But today we have to make a choice! We cannot settle down in the place of our pain!
Will you stay in Haran or do we keep on going? Terah could not continue, the Bible says that he stayed there and there died.
I want to invite you not to stay in Haran. God promised us Canaan and we will not stay in Haran, we go on to Canaan. In Canaan we will arrive!
We are all living difficult times! Some are fighting illnesses, others are suffering from the pain of losing loved ones.
We spent difficult times in this pandemic but the pandemic is over!
The pandemic has left us but have we let the pandemic go?
The pandemic is long gone and finished but the big question is, have you left it?
Are you willing to get out of Haran?
Are you willing to get out of this place of pain, sadness, mourning, affliction, dismay, defeat, condemnation and fear?
It’s time to leave, it’s time to move forward, God did not promise you Haran, God promised you Canaan.
I know it’s hard to let go of the past, it’s hard to move on. I know because I too have been hurt , I lost dear friends, disciples, pastors, opportunities, but I decided not to settle down in Haran.
I have a calling, God promised me Canaan and I will persevere. I decided I will not stay in this place of pain.
Today God wants to dry your tears, God wants to give you new strength, God wants you to give new vision and to increase your faith so you may keep on going towards your vision and not give up.
God invites you: get out of this place of pain and discouragement, of sadness and look up at the heavens!
Haran is not your place, what you are living today is not what God has promised, what you are living is just a season, soon it will pass, healing will come, the answers will come, there are greater things waiting for you, do not give up halfway through!
Today you need to decide to get out of this place of discouragement, pain, mediocrity and say yes to the calling of God. Give a step of faith, get out of Haran, get out of this place of affliction and pain!
Just as God called Abraham, Jesus is calling you now, He wants to restore your vision, He wants to take you away from this place of condemnation, pain, dismay, sadness.
Give a step of faith, do not settle for Haran, declare that you will not stay in Haran, declare that you are not mediocre, declare that you will reach your Canaan, you will get to the summit of the mountain.
God has a new time and a new season for your life.
The days of the pandemic, the days of pain, of sadness have ended in the name of Jesus! A new time is coming, winter is over and God is healing hearts and is strengthening the faith of those who have thought about giving up!
Great things the Lord will do in your life, do not settle for less, have patience.