and turned with me to the book
of Genesis chapter 17. Genesis chapter 17. Last time we ended, finished
the 16th chapter. Genesis 16 verse 15 to 16, And
Hagar bare Abram a son, and Abram called his son's name which Hagar
bare Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six
years old when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. And then starting in
chapter 17, the scripture says, and I'll just deal with one verse
tonight, verse one. And when Abram was 90 years old
and nine, The Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am
the almighty God. Walk before me and be thou perfect. 13 years have passed since Hagar
bore Ishmael to Abram. And the scripture does not record
that the Lord said anything to Abram during that time. But though
there's no revelation of any communication from the Lord,
this is what we know. We know that the Lord never delays
without purpose. Thirteen years. Hagar had Ishmael. And now, Hagar, having born him
at Abram's age of 86 years old, 13 years later, the Lord speaks. 13 years. Now, you know, to us,
that's a long time. But not to God. And now we realize,
of course, as Ecclesiastes 3.1 says, to everything there is
a season, as it is with men. It says a time to keep silence
and a time to speak with God, who is the I Am. And time is
of no essence to God. In His being, He's now. But there's
still a time for God to speak and a time for God to be silenced. And so God's timing is not our
timing. Abram obviously, Sarah, Hagar,
Ishmael, all of them, 13 years was needed. And the Lord's timing
and waiting is always deliberate. He always knows best. He always
knows that which is right for His glory and the good of His
people. The Lord is going to reveal to Abram soon that which
he's going to do. But for Abram, he must be made
to wait. He's going to have to wait because
when God Almighty reveals what He's going to reveal to Abram,
and Lord willing we'll look at it next time, what He's going
to reveal to him, the Scripture says, Paul the Apostle writing
Romans 4.19, and being not weak in faith, He considered not his
own body. God's going to tell him, no,
Abraham, Ishmael is not the son of promise. It's what he's going
to tell him in the next few verses. You're going to have a son. And
you're going to have a son by Sarah. Now Sarah, Abraham is
at this time 99 years old. He's going to be 100 years old
when Isaac is born. But when God Almighty revealed
to Abraham, now here he is waiting now, he said, you know, 13 years
have passed, God's not saying anything to him. Being not weak
in faith, he considered not his own body now dead. When he was about a hundred years
old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. God had told
him, you're going to have a son. and you're going to have a son
by Sarah. And the scripture says Abraham never considered, he
did not consider his body being dead, unable, Sarah's body being
dead, incapable, humanly speaking. All things are possible with
God. But the Lord was about to reveal that which He had eternally
purposed. Hadn't told Him exactly all the
details, but now He's going to bring Abram to an end of Himself. He's going to show Abram, with
you, things as we speak here are impossible. But as I said,
with God, all things So the scripture says when Abram was 99 years
old, the Lord appeared to Abram. Actually the word means to actually
see, actually behold, actually gaze and experience Him. This was a pre-incarnate meeting
The Lord took upon himself a visible form that Abram could see. And he actually appeared to Abram,
this vessel of his mercy, and not only did the Lord appear
to Abram, He spoke to him. I just, as I was going over my
notes today, I thought to myself, I read this and I know that Abram
knew that it was the Lord. He appeared to Abram and he said
something to him. And Abram was aware of who he
was talking to. And it just amazed me. Here he is. Speaking to God. To God. And they're talking. I think of the wonder of God's
people. The Lord said, my sheep, hear
my voice. I've never heard, you haven't
either. You've never heard him speak. Abram looked on him and
heard him talk. And he said unto him, that word
said, I was trying to make sure I understood what each word of
this passage, what I could find out about it. That word said,
it means to communicate with speech. That's pretty understandable. But when it said in the explanation,
but when that word said is relating to God, the word expresses more
than just hearing something. It means divinity speaking with
power and authority, as we read, and thus saith the Lord. That
word right there, that word, it has a different meaning. It
has an additional meaning. So we know that God speaks We've
had instances where we've read, the Lord spoke from heaven. This
is my beloved son. People heard him. He spoke to
Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me? Who art thou, Lord? I'm Jesus
of Nazareth. So God speaks. The Lord created man in His own
image, and the image of God created Him. Male and female created
He, them. And God blessed them, and God
said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth. Genesis 1, 27, 28. So God speaks. The time God said
to speak, when He was on Mount Sinai, given
the law, and the people heard and saw the fire, and God speaking,
and they heard the thundering and the roar. And then at times
the Scripture says He speaks, and it was a still small voice,
like He spoke to Elijah. But His sheep hear His voice,
and He speaks through Preaching. I'm a vessel of clay. That's
all I am. Just a sinner. But these words that I speak,
these words that are spoken, as thus saith the Lord. These
are His words. These are not my words. Paul
the Apostle says, we beseech you in Christ's stead. We beseech you in Christ's stead.
These are the words of the Lord that are being spoken. So here's
the Lord when Abram was 99 years old. The Lord appeared to Abram
and said unto him. Now listen to what he said to
him. I am the Almighty God. I am the Almighty God. That being
interpreted is El Shaddai. That's what it means. First time
it's recorded right here. It means God who is all-sufficient. That's what it means. God who
is all-sufficient. Now here's the difference between
the little g God of this world, the gods of false religion, the
gods of men who think that their gods need them to accomplish
His will to save men from their sins. He told Abram, I am the Almighty God. There is but one. I am God and there's none else. I am El Shaddai. The all-sufficient Savior. He
who is able. Now remember, He is about to
tell Abraham what He's going to do. How He's going to bless
Abraham. He's going to have a son. His
body being dead, her body being dead. I am El Shaddai. You will have a son. He is able, I began to think
on some scriptures that speaks on the ability of the Lord. He is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think. I don't know what to ask for. concerning my need. But whatever my need is, the
apostle Paul says, my God shall supply all of your need according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Whatever I need, he shall
supply. He is able to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for us. I love this. Jude 124. Now unto
him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present
you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. I am so thankful that He's able
to keep me from falling, because without Him, I will fall. Able to keep me from falling,
and listen to this, able to present you Faultless. Bearing our sin. Putting it away. Casting it as far as the east
is from the west. Behind God's back. Roving us in His righteousness. The Apostle Paul wrote to his
son Timothy. He said, I'm not ashamed. For
I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. The keeping of my soul. The sustaining of my soul. The Lord revealed unto Abram,
I am sufficient. I'm sufficient. I'm sufficient
for all your need. I'm sufficient. I'm sufficient
to supply that which I've promised. I'm able. I am the Almighty God. And knowing that God Almighty
always blesses upon the ground of inflexible righteousness,
and will not accept anything that's less than His holiness,
His character. He commands Abram to do something
that obviously is possible, but not with us. possible only in our blessed
surety and federal head and substitute, listen to what he says. I am
the almighty God. Walk before me and be thou perfect. Walk before me and be thou perfect. Abram was instructed to walk
before God, having nothing before his heart but God. Now that walk before me, that's
the first time that we heard that exact terminology. We did hear the Spirit of God
speak of a man named Enoch. And the scripture says Enoch
walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years. The Lord told Abram, you walk
before me. You walk before me. Enoch walked with God. I went
and had to go back. I wanted to make sure because
God told Abram something. He said something about Enoch.
I want to know what he said. I want to know exactly what that
meant. Enoch had sweet communion, as all God's people do, all God's
people have in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have
sweet communion with God as we, by faith, travel through this
world in agreement with God. How can two walk together unless
they be in agreement? And by the grace of God, we agree
with God. I always bring this up because
we need to hear it. I know that there's an old man
there, that carnal nature, that old man, that body of death referred
to by the Apostle Paul that's still in us. And I know we wrestle. I know we wrestle. We wrestle
not with flesh and blood. We wrestle with principalities
and powers and spiritual wickedness and high places. We got an old
man too. An old man that resists us. But
there's a new man that loves God. There's a new man that sinneth
not. A new man that enjoys that sweet
communion with the Lord. He's there. All you that believe,
you know what I'm saying. The apostle Peter, when the Lord
asked him, Peter, lovest thou me more than these? He said,
Lord, you know, after the Lord asked him three times. Lord,
you know all things. You know that I love you. You
know I. And here with Peter, he just denied Him three times.
Just a few days before. Three or four days before. Lord, You know. So God's people,
they do. They do love Him. They do commune
with Him. They walk with Him. They walk in agreement with Him.
They're kept by His power. They know that He never leaves
us. He never forsakes us. So the truth of God's people
walking with the Lord. They walk with Him. is a truth
that they experience. But here the Lord told Abram
to walk before Me. Again, this is a walk that every
believer experiences. All believers walk with the Lord.
He told Abram, he said, you walk before Me. What does that mean?
He was setting forth to Abram that he was to pass the time
in this sojourning, in this time of our life, in a reverential
awe, A-W-E, having no space allotted for anyone more than the Lord. The El Shaddai, you walk before
me. He was to walk being conscious
of the Lord's presence and holy observation is what he was being
told. You walk before me realizing. We walk as Enoch walked with
him, in communion with him, delighting in him, agreement with him, loving
him. But we walk before Him with a
realization, it's the Lord sees. You walk before Me. The eyes
of the Lord are upon the righteous, that holy observation. We know,
we know that He knows. That's what I'm saying. We know
that He knows. We know that He sees. And therefore
we walk with a desire an intent to please Him. That's what a
believer wants. I want to please Him. I want
to walk. I want to walk like a believer.
I want to walk in a respectful way.
That's what I want. Walk before me. Then I found
that there was one other. command that was given by the
Lord, I wanted to bring it out concerning the walk of God's
people. Deuteronomy 13, 4, you shall walk after the Lord, your
God, and fear him. and keep His commandments, and
obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and cleave unto Him."
Now that verse is given as an admonition, a warning to the
people of God against hearing anyone or anything that would
attempt to entice the sheep to follow after anyone or anything
except the Lord. You walk after me. Not after the things of this
world, you walk after me. Seek ye first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness. And all these things will be
added unto you. So we're found that we walk before
the Lord, we walk with the Lord, we walk after the Lord. There's
so much in this world that would seek to draw us away. But then in this last part of
this verse for this evening, in closing, the Lord commanded
Abram, that last part, and be thou perfect. Be perfect. I want you to be
perfect. Be thou perfect. The word be, B-E, here's what
it means. Exist. Exist. Now, Abraham did not make himself
perfect. Abraham could do nothing to keep
himself perfect. But God commanded him to be perfect,
to exist perfect. He's not telling him, I want
you now to start doing something that you weren't doing before
as if Abram could do something. The Lord is instructing Abraham
concerning that which God has made Abraham to be in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, I'll just read these
verses for you. Genesis 6-9. Now here's the... Here's the word of realization of what every
believer is in the Lord, in Christ. Genesis chapter 6 verse 9. These are the generations of
Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. And Noah walked with God. Job, listen to what God has to
say about Job. Job 1.1, again we realize not
in ourselves, not by works of righteousness that we've done,
according to His mercy of sages. Job 1.1, there was a man in the
land of Uz whose name was Job and that man was perfect and
upright one that feared God and eschewed evil. Job 1.8, the Lord
said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? There is none
like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth
God and escheweth evil. So here we realize God is telling
Abram, you walk before me. Walk realizing that I know, that
I see, that I observe. And be ye perfect. Remind me when Philip, I mean
Thomas, remember doubting Thomas? Thomas wasn't there. One week
later the Lord appeared, Thomas wasn't there. They told Thomas,
Thomas the Lord was here. I don't believe you. Unless I
put my finger in the palms of his hand, feel the hole, unless
I feel that wound, I will not believe. One week later. He appeared to his apostles again.
Thomas was there. And the Lord said to Thomas,
Thomas, put your hand right here. Put your hand on my side. And
be not faithless. That wasn't a suggestion. That
was a command. And with that command came the
power. And be not faithless. And what did Thomas say? My Lord
and my God. Walk before me and be perfect. Perfect only in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Hebrews 10, 14. For by one offering,
he hath perfected forever. Them that are sanctified set
apart for God. That is, by the one offering
of Himself at Calvary, being made sin for us, He who knew
no sin, Christ accomplished that which He came to do, to redeem
and save His sheep. By one offering, shedding His
blood, He completely cleansed and made in Himself all that
are His perfect. holy, without blame. He took their blame, robed them
in His righteousness. They are perfect in Him, without
spot, without blemish. Oh, the blessing of knowing by
faith that God deals with His people in the surety. Deals with them
the merits of His blood, that blood that was shed according
to His everlasting covenant. Deals with them on the grounds
of His imputed righteousness, that righteousness earned by
the man, Christ Jesus, the Son of Man. The man Christ Jesus who earned the righteousness
of God and charges it to his people. Jeremiah 33, 16, here's the merit
of our perfection. In those days shall Judah be
saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this is the name
wherewith she shall be called, The Lord, our righteousness. I heard someone say one time
when we stand before God, he said,
what are you going to say if you're asked what merit are you
standing here? He said, I'm not standing here
in my merit. I'm here in the merit of another who loved me,
gave himself for me. So walk before the Lord, realizing
that in our walk before the Lord, He beholds us as being perfect. We are perfect. Not in that state
that was established or maintained by men, but that state of being
found in Christ. Our debt to the law of God, has
been put away. Sin has been purged. Atonement
has been made by the shed blood. So walking before God, robed
in His righteousness, having no confidence in our flesh, we
are in Him perfect. Abram, I am the Almighty God. walk before me and be ye perfect. I pray that the lord bless these
words to our heart. All right, I'm going to ask the