Lessons for August 12, 2007 – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

The first lesson

Genesis 15:1-6
 
    Afterward the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great."  [2] But Abram replied, "O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since I don't have a son, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. [3] You have given me no children, so one of my servants will have to be my heir."  [4] Then the Lord said to him, "No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own to inherit everything I am giving you." [5] Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, "Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that—too many to count!" [6] And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith.  (NLT)

Psalm 33:12-22
 
L.  What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen for his own.
C.  The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. 
L.  From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. 
C.  He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. 
L.  The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. 
C.  Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.
L.  But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. 
C.  He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.
L.  We depend on the Lord alone to save us.
C.  Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield. 
L.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy name. 
C.  Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.  (NLT)

The second lesson

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 
    What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. [2] God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith.  [3] By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. [8]  It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. [9] And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. [10] Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. 
[11] It was by faith that Sarah together with Abraham was able to have a child, even though they were too old and Sarah was barren. Abraham believed that God would keep his promise. [12] And so a whole nation came from this one man, Abraham, who was too old to have any children—a nation with so many people that, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.  [13] All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. [14] And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country they can call their own. [15] If they had meant the country they came from, they would have found a way to go back. [16] But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them.  (NLT) 

The Gospel Lesson 

Luke 12:32-40
 
    "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.  [33] "Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no holes in them. Your treasure will be safe—no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. [34] Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. [35] "Be dressed for service and well prepared, [36] as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. [37] There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! [38] He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready!  [39] "Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would not permit the house to be broken into. [40] You must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." 
(NLT)