Abraham was a pioneer who took risks. Because he was willing to take risks, God raised up the tribe of Israel through him, and all nations were blessed because of Israel. To accomplish anything extraordinary and meaningful for God, you need to take risks for God. God likes people who are willing to take risks for Him. When God commented on Abraham, he said, "I am not ashamed to be called the God of Abraham" (rf. Hebrews 11:16). Wow! This is a great comment! Do you hope that God is not ashamed to be called your God?

Abraham's life shows us that people who take risks for God must have three conditions:

1. Allow God to disrupt our lives

People who take risks for God must allow God to disrupt their lives. Abraham originally lived in Ur (see 11:31). Ur was a developed and very prosperous city at the time, just like Hong Kong today. From a human perspective, Abraham is equivalent to a successful person in Hong Kong today: he has houses, cars, stocks, servants, a noble job, and a beautiful wife. He lives a comfortable life and is completely adapted to the local life. Suddenly, God disrupts his life and asks him to be uprooted and go to a place he don't even know. This is a risk.

Brothers and sisters, you must be mentally prepared! God likes to disrupt our lives the most. Thank God, the more your life is disrupted by God, the more it shows that God respects you. Anyone who is used by God has his life disrupted by God in order to expand his mind and make his life more mature. Blessed are those who are disrupted by God! God disrupts you because he treasures you!

2. Do as God instructs

God did not call Abraham to Haran. Haran was just a stopover, and the destination was Canaan. Going to Haran was half obedience. Abraham was not disobedient, but only half obedient.
The biggest problem for Christians today is not to resist God, because it is obviously wrong to resist God, and our conscience will condemn us. The biggest danger is half obedience. Because he has done half of it, he thinks he is not too bad, so he gives himself many excuses to stagnate. This is terrible!

It is not that he is not moved. Sometimes he even cries when he hears a heart-piercing sermon and says, "Lord, I am willing!" But then he does not act. He always has many excuses to explain why he is slow to act. Although God has worked in him, his life has not changed, he has not seen the blessing, and the promise has not been fulfilled because he has not acted.

To act, isn't it risky? Yes, it is risky. Since leaving Haran and going to the land of Canaan, every time Abraham obeyed God, God appeared to him, without exception. "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:21)

3. Maintain a strong worship life

Worship will make our hearts burn. If we do not maintain a strong worship life, our hearts will easily grow cold. It takes a passion to take risks. How can a cold heart take risks for God?

Abraham kept building altars for God. Every place he went, he built an altar for God. Altars are used for sacrifices, and sacrifices are worship of God. Abraham's life was a life of constant worship of God.

Abraham had a close relationship with God, like a friend. When Sodom and Gomorrah were so sinful that God was about to send fire to destroy the two cities, God said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" (18:17) What a close relationship this is! Brothers and sisters, is your relationship with God so close that God can safely tell you what He is going to do? Can God say to you, "I will make known to you what I am about to do"?

No matter where you are, there is always a place for you to build an altar for God. God likes you to build an altar for Him in your home, company, school, subway, bus, street... No matter where you are, God longs to have fellowship with you. Build an altar for God in any situation. When you stop building an altar, you lose the motivation to take risks for God, and your life loses its luster.

Discussion Questions:

1. Share an experience in which God disrupted your life. How did this experience bless you in the end?

2. Has God placed a burden on your heart, or do you have an ideal, but have not yet taken action? What are you waiting for? Are you still waiting because you are afraid that God will disrupt your current life? At this stage, what is preventing you from taking risks for God?

3. How can we encourage each other in the group to take risks for God?

A Pioneer who Dares to take Risks