8 through 10. Now remember last week, as you're
turning there, we looked at the faith of Noah, we spent a little
time in understanding what the Lord was telling us in Noah's
faith, then we took a look at what the production of that faith
was, what is the result of God giving us faith in Him, the ability
to believe His Word. God told him to make an ark,
and that's what he did, isn't it? Now I know, I'm not sure
what God has told you folks, but I want to share with you
something. When I went to Steve, and I've shared this with you
before, when I went to Steve and Gene as we were leaving the
church one day, and I just, I was shaking my head just, man, I
don't understand what's going on with John Reeves. This is
not the John Reeves that I know. I should be home watching football,
but no, here I am walking out of a church saying amen to something,
some guy standing up in the pulpit The same kind of guy that I thought
was a crazy wacko all my life. Them crazy folks that preach
in churches, you know, they're nuts. They just gotta have something
to hang on to. And here I am at the back of
the church, and Steve and Gene are coming up to me and they're
saying, obviously it's the Spirit of God moving in you. It's obviously, John, we see,
best we can tell, that it's the Spirit of God moving in you.
And I said to both of them, I said, well, what's next? And Gene goes,
well, the Lord says you'd be not baptized. I said, OK, let's
do it. What does it mean? And Gene told
me what baptism meant. And I think it was the very next
Sunday I got baptized. Well, that's what Noah did. The
Lord came to him, obviously not in the way that he did with me,
but in his own personal way. And he told Noah, it's going
to rain. What do you think Noah did? That's
crazy. What's rain? And the Lord explained it to
him. It's when everything comes down
out of the sky. Oh, and by the way, all the waters
of the earth are going to come up and the whole earth's going
to be flooded. That's nuts! But I believe getting the waters
of baptism, that's nuts! That's not going to save me.
You're right, it's not going to save me, but God says to do so. The results
of faith is that we... Now, don't take this wrong. I'm
not saying we do anything perfectly and to the satisfaction of what
our God requires, because we don't. But we sure try, don't
we? Folks, I remember a time when
thoughts would come to my mind and I would entertain them. It
didn't matter what it was, whether it was a religious thought of
something that I must do to be saved. It didn't matter if it
was a filthy thought of another woman. or whatever, it didn't
matter if it was a thought of anger. Today, those thoughts
still come into my mind, but I sit back and I say, my Lord
would not have me do this. God helped me to turn away from
those things. I didn't call upon God to turn
away from those things before, and neither did you, did you?
No, those of you who may have been very religious would have
just beat yourselves up over it. Oh, here I am having these
thoughts again go through my mind, beat myself up. I got to
go and do something. I got to go wash dishes. I got
to go do this. I got to go knock on people's
doors. I got to do something. Maybe I got to come down to the
front of the aisle again. I know people who've been baptized
five times. And it wouldn't surprise me if
they came and said, I need to be baptized again. I'm not going
to do it, but I'm sure they could find somebody. Oh, the results
of believing God. is doing what he says, even if
we can't do it to his satisfaction. And trust me, none of us can. But there is one who has done
it for us. There is one who is our substitute
in all things. Not only did he substitute himself
as our righteousness, he substituted himself as our justification. He substituted himself as our
sanctification. He substituted himself as our
redemption. Here in our text, we read these
words in verses 11 through 10, or 8 through 10, I'm sorry, 8
through 10. By faith, Abraham, when he He obeyed. He obeyed. And he went out, not knowing
whether he went, by faith he sojourned in the land of promise,
as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and
Jacob, and the heirs with him of the same promise, for he looked
for a city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Now we're going to focus this
morning on verse 8, and I want to take that very first phrase
we have there, the called of God. Whenever we discuss life
of faith, we must begin with the call of God. The first and
most important thing in this verse is the call of God by which
Abraham was brought to faith in Christ. Now, Noah was the
same thing. Remember, we went back and looked
at where Noah was. Noah was, he didn't know the
Lord until I believe it was 75. 75 years before that he walked
with the men of this world just as you and I have. God had to
call Noah and tell him to build that ark. Well, God came to Abraham
as well. Abraham was in a land of idolatry. He was in the land of Canaan.
I may have that wrong. Either way, he was in a different
land, a land of idolatry. That was the point I wanted to
make. So Abraham was brought to faith in Christ when he had
called. Now I want you to turn over and I want you to look at
a couple of things with me. We're gonna compare two scriptures. So hold your
place there in Hebrews, because we'll come back to it. And turn
over to Genesis 12 for a moment. Turn over to Genesis chapter
12. Now remember, we're talking about the call. The call of God. Before God does anything, He
calls His people. Remember what He did to Lazarus?
What did He do? He said, Lazarus! Look what He did to Abraham here.
In Genesis 12 verse 1, Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get
thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
Father's house unto a land that I will show thee." Now I want
you to compare that. Did everybody get a chance to
read that? Okay. I want you to compare that with what we see
over in Acts chapter 7. So go back into the New Testament
again if you would and turn to Acts chapter 7. In Acts chapter
7, beginning at verse 2, We're talking about the call. We saw
where the Lord called Abram out of the land that he was in. Here
in verse 2 of Acts chapter 7, and he said, Men and brethren,
this is the sermon of Stephen. Men and brethren and fathers,
hearken, listen, turn to, hearken unto the God of glory appeared
unto our Father. referring to back in there at
Abraham. Our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, for
he dwelt in Cheron, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land where
I will show thee. Our Lord calls His people. And
that's exactly what He's showing us here in this eighth verse
of Hebrews. And by faith, Abraham, when he
was called to go out into the place which he should after receive
for an inheritance, obeyed. That's exactly what Noah did.
He obeyed. Did you know Abel obeyed? What
did Abel do? The first one that God gives
us here, by faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice. What did he do? He offered to
God a sacrifice worthy to God. It wasn't the sacrifice itself,
it was the picture of what that sacrifice, of who the sacrifice
that God would accept would be. Jesus Christ our Lord. So when
we think of this verse here in chapter 8, by faith, Abraham,
when he was called, we realize that we couldn't do anything,
including having faith, until God calls us. That's what God
did that day when I first heard the gospel preached. He called
John Reeves. I didn't know it. I didn't hear
him say, John Reeves. But as I look back now and see
what happened that day, the first day I heard the gospel, I see
that God was calling me. I'm thankful that God came through
Rescue California for a certain man named John Reeves. Also for
Kathy. Five years later, but he still
came through Rescue on a day on a Sunday morning and called
Kathy Reeves unto himself. And I believe each and every
one of you can say the same thing. It's a divine gift. Faith is
a gift of God, as we read in Ephesians 2.8, all of us are
so familiar with. The life of faith begins when
the call of God comes to us. Salvation does not begin with
man, but with God. It is not in any case on the
word caused by man. It is not in any degree or at
any point dependent upon man, for salvation is God's work and
God's work alone. Now, for those of you who couldn't
be with us Friday night, there are three things that we saw
on Friday night that I wanna bring a point again to. So, you
can turn with me if you can turn there quickly, but I'm gonna
turn very quick for it. First one is in Ephesians chapter
one, verse 19. Now, we refer to those verses
in Ephesians two, verse eight, over and over and over again,
but there's other verses in God's word that say the same thing.
Let me share some with you. In verse 19 of Ephesians one,
and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward, who
believe, now here's that same statement as we read over in
verse eight, for by grace ye say through faith that is not
of yourselves, but of the gift of God. Over in 19, we read this
according to the greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe
according to the working of His mighty power. Another one, Philippians
chapter 1, verse 1 verse, it's over there, it says the exact
same thing, almost for word for word. For unto you, in verse
29, it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe
on Him. Did you catch that? For unto
you, it is given in the behalf of Christ. not only to believe,
but also to suffer for His sake. One more, if you don't mind me
reading over in the book of Colossians, chapter 2, verse 12. It says
almost the same thing, buried with Him in baptism, wherein
also ye are risen with Him through faith. Now listen to these next
words, we're risen through Him through faith, of the operation
of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. You see how gift is
a faith? Or, I mean, faith is a gift. I said that backwards,
sorry. Faith is a divine gift. It's a divine gift of the Lord.
Folks, salvation is of the Lord from beginning to end. Period.
And I'm going to repeat that over and over and over and over
again every time God gives me an opportunity to stand in a
pulpit wherever it may be. Salvation is of the Lord. And to those of us who are truly
saved of God, praise God for that. Because if it's ever left
anything to me, I'll mess it up. Faith is the gift of God
as it is clearly stated in Ephesians 2. And salvation is of the Lord
from beginning to end. Abraham was not seeking the Lord.
The Lord sought him. Abraham was not looking to God. God was looking to him. Abraham
did not come to God. God came to him. It's the same
thing we said with Noah last week. Noah did not find grace
in his eyes. He found grace in the eyes of
God. That means God was being gracious
to him. Abraham's faith was not the cause
of God's grace to him, but the result. And that's exactly the
way it is with every one of us. Faith in Christ is a gift of
God bestowed upon, wrought in, and given to sinners who otherwise
could not and would not believe God. Faith in Christ is given
to lost men and women according to His eternal purpose of grace
in His Son, the Lord Jesus. That's what we read over in Ephesians.
Let me read for you here quite quickly. Ephesians 1, verses
3 and 4. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and heavenly places in Christ. according as He had
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him. Faith in Christ, which is
given to lost men and women, it is the result of Christ's
atonement. Our Lord made atonement for His
people. Let me read for you from Hebrews
chapter 9. a verse that we just studied not too long ago. Chapter
9, verse 12, Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His
own blood He entered once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us. It is wrought and chosen, redeemed
sinners by the power of grace and of the Holy Spirit's omnipotent,
irresistible, effectual call. And you can read about that in
Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 10. Folks, they and they alone,
the called, according to the purpose of God, for whom all
things work together for the good of, as we read in Romans
8, 28. What do we read there? For we
know that all things are for the good to those who love God,
to them who are called. There's two types of calls, you
know, that go out. Two types of calls that we see
in Scripture. Two distinct calls from God that
are set forth in Holy Scripture. First, there's a general call,
a particular call, an outward call, an inward call, a call
that men resist, a call that men can reject, a call that's
not effectual, it's not irresistible. The almighty saving call of the
omnipotent God is the call of grace. The general one is an
external call. It's given to all who hear the
gospel or come under the sound of the word of God. And let me
give you some examples of that. Over in Proverbs, chapter 8,
we read these words. Let me turn over there. Verse
4, all the words of my mouth are in righteousness. Unto you,
O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man. Another one
over in Proverbs chapter 1. Over in chapter 1 of Proverbs
we read verses 24 through 28. Because I have called, and ye
refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.
We're talking about the call that goes out to general people.
This is talking about that very thing. Verse 25. But ye have
set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. You see that? This is talking
about that call that goes out to all mankind. That's the call
that maybe I had heard once or twice from my stepfather, Calvin
Samuel Ellis, who I believe knew the Lord. I can't believe that
I had lived under his house for so long and him not preach the
gospel to me one or two times, but I never heard it with ears
of the heart. So I always just, that's dad
in his way of trying to correct me. That's the call that goes
out. Let's see, let's look at one
other one, shall we, over in Matthew chapter 20, verse 16. So the last shall be first, and
the first last, for many be called, but few chosen. So we see here
in scriptures that all men and all women are without exception,
stoutly, without exception, stoutly resist the general call. Now,
the special N-word, an efficacious call of God, comes only to His
elect. This is the call that is always
effectual, because it comes under the call of the power of the
Holy Spirit. It's not just men who are declaring
God's Word, like me. That's what I'm doing. I'm up
here declaring God's Word. Folks, some folks come into this
church and hear the truth of God's Word, and they just turn
around and walk away. They hear the word of God preached, but
it's not acceptable to them. They reject it. But those who
belong to God, those who have the spiritual of God speaking
to their heart through whatever words that the preacher is talking
up here in the pulpit, the ones who have the spirit of God, it
comes to them effectually with the power of God. Let's look
at a couple of examples of that, shall we? Turn over to Luke,
chapter 5. And look with me, if you would, at verses 27 and
28. And after these things, he went
forth and saw a publican, this is the Lord Jesus, named Levi,
sitting at the receipt of customs, and he said unto him, follow
me. Follow me. But look at the results
in verse 28. And he left all. Do you see that
efficacious call? This is the call of love. This is the call that comes to
God's people through love. It's a call from death unto life,
is what it is. Like all others, Abraham was
a lost man. He was dead in trespasses and
sins, and when the Lord called him by His grace, as we read
about in Joshua 24-2, he belonged to a heathen family. He lived
as an idolater in the midst of idolaters until he was 70 years
old and then God called him. And until God stepped into his
life, Abraham was just like every one of us in that massive pagan
land that we all once lived in. And he was content with what
he was in. He was content in the world. He was content with what the
swine fed on. without God, without Christ,
without hope, without life. Abraham's experience is repeated
and verified by every one of God's elect as we read in Ephesians
2 verses 1 through 4. Listen to that once again if
you would. And you hath he quickened, and were dead in trespasses and
sin. Wherein times past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince, and the power, and the air, and
the spirit, and our workers, and the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in,
the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires. But God, who is
rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us. He hath made us alive. This
is a call from death into life. It's an irresistible call, a
divine revelation. It's an effectual call of God
and it comes through the revelation of Christ. Let me read for you
over in Galatians chapter 1 verses 15 through 16. In verses 15 and
16 of Galatians chapter 1 we read, But when it had pleased
God who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me
by His grace," and here's that irresistible divine revelation,
verse 16, "...to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him
among the heathen." It's a revealed call. This call is a work of
God's sovereign, distinguishing grace. God, in grace, singled
out one man in the midst of all that nation that Abram came from. God says this, He says, I called
him alone and blessed him. That's in Isaiah 51 too. Why
did God call Abraham but not his father? And not any of his
other kinsmen? No answer can be given but this, he will have mercy. He called
Isaac and he refused Ishmael. He loved Jacob and he hated Esau. He accepted Abel and he rejected
Cain. Why? Why would God choose to
call one and not another? Here's why. Because he would. And that's the only explanation
that can be given. Because he would. The God of
glory appeared unto our father Abraham. That's what we read
back there in Acts chapter 7 verse 2. I do not know all that is
included in those words, but two things are very certain.
First, for the first time in his life, God was real to Abraham
at that moment. Whatever Abraham had heard about
God and the old nation that he walked in, God made Himself real
to him for the first time right there when He spoke to him. Get
out of that country and go to where I tell you. Abraham would
agree exactly with Job where Job said these words, he says,
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye
seeth thee. Does that describe you? Do you
remember the first time you heard the Gospel? Does that not describe
each and every one of us? This is how God says sinners,
folks, he who commanded the light to shine out of darkness have
shined in our hearts. See how that gives God all the
glory? See how that magnifies his grace in giving us anything? He who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts. to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God and the face of Jesus
Christ. That's in 2 Corinthians chapter
4 verse 6. The chosen redeemed sinner in
whom this miracle of grace is brought in is brought by the
power and the grace of God out of darkness, out of bondage,
away from death, and into the light and the life of His glorious
Son, our Lord and Savior Christ, the Son of God. Amen.