Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. This evening I'd like to consider
verses 9 and 10. The scriptures. set forth concerning Abraham,
that by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange
country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which
hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Let's ask our Lord to bless you. Our Father, this evening we come
before you realizing, Lord, we are needy people. And we ask
you, according to your eternal purpose of grace and mercy to
your people, that Lord, would you bless the Word tonight to
the calling out, Lord, of those that are made to see their need
of You. Lord, I pray that You'd comfort
us. Help us to worship. Help us to
see. Help us to hear. For Christ's
sake. Amen. In our last study, we looked
at verse 8 last time, and we saw and considered the call of
Abraham. The scriptures says in verse
8, by faith, Abraham when he was called to go out into a place
which he should after receive for inheritance, obeyed. And he went out, not knowing
whether he went. Now when we consider that scripture,
the call of Abraham. What we see in that beautiful
picture is a type, is a picture of God's sovereignty, God's purpose,
God's will, God's power to call out effectually those that He
has everlastingly loved and chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ. You
know, we look back and we looked in the book of Genesis and there
was Abraham, there was his dad, Terah, there was his brother. And the scripture says that Almighty
God called, in particular, Abraham. And he was pleased to pass by
his father and his brother, and he called Abraham out of idolatry
and left his dad and his brother, left them just exactly where
God found them. Allowed them to do just exactly
what they wanted to do. And in the day of God's power,
the Scripture says that Almighty God who gave this man a new heart,
Abraham, the scripture says, went out not knowing whether
he went. By faith, Abraham was going to
have to walk after God, waiting, seeking. But before we consider
these next two verses, 9 and 10, I want us to consider a few
points. Let me ask you this, was Abraham's
response and obedience in himself, was it without flaw? Here he was called of God, called
by the grace of Almighty God, but that flesh is still there. Abraham, the Scripture says,
left Mesopotamia where God found him. He was living in a city
called Ur of Chaldea, Ur of the Chaldees. And God called him
while he was in Mesopotamia. And He told him, He said, I want
you to leave. I want you to go where I'm going to show you.
I'm going to send him over to Canaan. You know what happens. Because of that flesh, because
of the presence of sin, how quickly do we recognize, as we do in
ourselves, the battle that rages between the flesh and the spirit.
The Lord had told Abraham, you get thee out of thy country and
from thy kindred, from thy father's house into a land that I will
show thee. And what happened? The Scripture
says that his dad, Terah, let him out. And Abraham went with
him, and Sarah, and Lot, and his brothers. And they went to
a place called Havren. And they dwelt there. And the
Scripture says they stayed there until his dad died. And then he left, according to
Genesis 12.5. And he still didn't leave his
kindred. He took a lot with him. Oh, how quickly do we see the
failings of this flesh. But these things are recorded
to show us the wretchedness of our own sinful heart and the
mercy and grace and compassion of Almighty God to his elect
in Christ. What did Abraham do? that any
other rebel wouldn't do. Nothing. He did just exactly
what he wanted to do, but I will tell you this, don't ever let
the recorded failings of others be an excuse for our own rebellion. I had somebody tell me that one
time. I told you that recently. The marvel of this record of
Abraham's sin, the marvel of it was God's mercy. Though Abraham failed, I will
tell you this, there is no failure in our God and in His purpose
in Christ. Oh, the unchanging faithfulness
of Him who has everlastingly loved His own. Almighty God,
the Scripture says forth, from before the foundation of the
world, chose to show mercy to some. Out of every nation and
kindred and tribe and tongue, and everyone that He chose in
Christ, He's going to call to Himself. He's going to save them. Everyone that the Lord Jesus
Christ came into this world to represent, He died for them. And He put
away their guilt. He was buried with them, they
being in Him, rose with them, is seated with them in the heavenlies
right now. And Almighty God in Christ is
pleased with them. Now, is He going to deal with
them concerning a fatherly love and chastisement? Yes, He will.
Yes, He will. But I'll tell you this, there
is therefore no condemnation. to those that be in Christ Jesus. Here was Abraham chosen by God,
instructed by God, left not in the way that God told him to
do it. You listen to this. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are
new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. Psalm
103, 10. He hath not dealt with us after
our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the
heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward
them that fear Him. Almighty God, for Christ's sake,
toward those that He has everlastingly loved and set His affection on.
God Almighty shows mercy. Now, the scripture says, verse
9, By faith he sojourned in the land of promise,
as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac Jacob,
the heirs with him of the same promise. Boy, when I just read
that last word, promise, promise. Almighty God, for Christ's sake,
has made a promise for those He's going to show mercy to.
I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to forsake you.
You will not perish. You will not perish. Promise. Promise. By faith. He sojourned in a land of promise. Now, I'm going to tell you, I
went back just a few minutes ago and just kind of He looked
at a couple of pages after, after. The Scripture says that Abraham
left Havron. He left Mesopotamia, Ur of the
Chaldees, went to Havron. From Havron, he went down and
sojourned in Canaan. He did. By faith, by faith, the
Scripture says, sojourned in the land of promise. Here's God's
record of Abraham recorded in Genesis. Abraham came and told
the king, Abimelech, when he knew that Abimelech would have
killed him, would have killed Abraham for Sarah. Sarah was
a beautiful woman, the Scripture says. And Abraham knew. He thought, this king will kill
me for her. What did he do? He said, she's
my sister. He lied. He lied. God prevented
Abimelech from touching Sarah. Revealed to him. Abimelech came
to Abraham. Why did you do that? Why did
you do that? Why did you tell me that? God
had given him a promise. He said, I'm going to give you
a son. Sarah was past the age of childbearing. I'm going to
give you a son." Came to Abraham's tent before the Lord sent those
two angels to Sodom. The Lord told Abraham, he said,
Sarah's going to have a son. He said, I'm going to come back
here next year. I'm going to visit her. She's
going to have a son. Sarah laughed. We'll deal with
this later. Sarah laughed into her inner self. The Lord said,
why did Sarah laugh? Sarah said, I didn't laugh. I
didn't laugh. Sarah later suggested to Abraham,
I know, I know what the Lord meant. He's going to give you
a son. I'm going to give you my handmaid, Hagar. So Ishmael's
born. That's what Genesis said. This
is what happened. This is the record. This is what
happened. You know what the Scripture says?
Verse 9, by faith. He sojourned in the land of promise
as in a strange country. You know the thing I notice?
God never mentioned his rebellion. He never mentions his sin. Viewed
him in Christ. Now, is this an excuse for rebellion? No, sir. No, sir. But I'll tell
you this, in Christ, Almighty God, sins of His people, those
that Christ was made sin for. He laid down His life for everybody? For all mankind? No, no. No,
no. The Scripture says, John 10,
15, I laid down my life for the sheep. I laid down His life for
God's people, God's elect. He died for them, paid their
debt, cast their sins as far as the east is from the west.
The Lord said, I'm not going to remember him anymore. And
I read that precious passage of Scripture, and all it speaks
of is Abraham's faith. By faith. By faith. He was struggling
with the presence of sin. Abraham, just like all God's
people do, sojourned, the Scripture says, in the land of promise.
He stayed there as a foreigner. That's what he was. Temporarily. He wasn't from there, just like
we do in this world. God had given Abraham a promise,
but the time was not yet. And he, just like we do, we walk
patiently, waiting, struggling, striving by faith, believing
God. There is two men. in every believer. One that believes
Him, the Scripture says, one that sinneth not, and there is
one that is flesh and does nothing but sin. Abraham believed God. That is what the Scripture says.
That is the epitaph of Abraham. What did God say about Abraham?
Go back and read the record. We'll go with Lord Willard soon.
We'll look at Moses. What happened to Moses? Same
thing. But here's what God says. Abraham believed the Lord. He believed God. God had given
him a promise. Now let me ask you this. For
us here tonight, has Almighty God said concerning His people,
that He has gone to prepare a place for them. I want you to turn
to John 14. John 14. Amazing passage of Scripture
right here. John 14, verses 2 and 3. John 14. John 14, to in my Father's house
are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you,
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also."
Now here he was talking to his disciples. He was telling them
about heaven. In my Father's house, there are
many mansions there. And He told them, I go to prepare
a place for you. Now here's where He was going. He was getting ready to go to
the cross. He was getting ready to lay down His life for His
people. He was getting ready to suffer
what they deserved in themselves. He would be made sin. That's what the Scripture says.
He would go and under the judgment of Almighty God, He would put
away the debt owed to God's law for all that the Father had given
Him. He was going to pay their debt. And all that the Father had given
Him died with Him. Mystical body. The body of Christ. Paul says, I was crucified with
Him. I was there. In Christ. Under the judgment of God. In
a substitute. An Almighty God put away by one
sacrifice. And He hath perfected, the Scripture
says, forever. Them that are sanctified. Set
apart by God. Made holy in Christ. made holy
in electing. Almighty God sent His Son to
prepare that place for them. He said, I go to prepare. I'm
going to die for you. I'm going to be buried for you.
I'm going to rise for you. I'm going to be ascended for
you. And you will be in me. I go to prepare a place for you. Did he say that he would soon
return? Yes, he did. I go to a fair place
for you. And if I go, I will come again. If where I am, there you may
be also. If he takes us home tonight, if tonight's the last
night, and how quickly, and how soon, we've been reminded lately,
how fast this world can be over. Just one breath. One breath. That's it. One breath. Withhold
one breath from me. Never let me take another breath.
And I'm telling you, in an instant, we'll meet God. It'll be over. I go to a prepared place. I'll
come again. If He comes back before His second
coming, He's coming back. His Word is
sure. All by faith, we just sojourn
in this world. This world is not our home. Now,
you that know Him, you that believe Him, you that are striving against
the flesh, against Satan, against this world, His Word is not going to return
void. it's going to accomplish the
purpose for which it was sent. The Scripture says that Abraham,
by faith, struggling just like we do, sojourned in a land of
promise as in a strange country. Those people were not his people.
They were Canaanites, Hittites, Habites, Jebusites. And Abraham
had nothing in common with them. Nothing whatsoever. He didn't
have anything to do with their false religion. He didn't have
anything to do with their disrespectful attitude before God Almighty
and His sovereignty. I know we've got to live in this
world. I know that. But I'm telling you, we are not
of it. I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians
6. 2 Corinthians 6 verse 15 to 18. Listen to this question that
the Apostle Paul asked under the inspiration of God's Spirit.
2 Corinthians 6 verse 15. What concord, what harmony, what
state of agreement hath Christ with Belial? I looked that word
up today. Belial. You know what it means?
Worthlessness. What harmony has Christ with
worthlessness? Or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the
living God. As God has said, I dwell in them and walk in them.
I will be their God and they shall be My people. Therefore,
come out from among them and be you separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing. I will receive you. I will be
a father unto you. You shall be My sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty." Listen, as I said a moment ago, I know
that we live in this world. I know we do. I know you go to
work every day. I heard Brother Henry say this
one time. I thought, this is so true concerning
a pastor. Now, I'm shielded from so much. I come to this church and I sit
down and I've got time. and sit here and read and study
and ask and pray and seek. But for those of you that's got
to go to work every day, I know what you have to deal with. You deal with people that don't
know God, that certainly have no respect whatsoever for the
God of all grace. They have no respect for His
sovereignty. And you grieve, I know you are. And I know you
have to live in this world, but you're not of it. You're not
of it. You're sojourning in a strange
country. And you're able to come a couple
of times a week and meet together with God's people. It's like
a breath of fresh air. Where you can sit down and somebody
just tell me what Almighty God has to say. Tell me what the
Scriptures have to say about God's purpose and will and God's
election. Tell me how God Almighty sets
forth Himself. Come out from among them. Be
separate. As I've told you before, don't
yield to the temptation. You might say, well, sometimes
I want somebody to come and I'll go with you and you go with me.
Don't go. Don't go. Don't go. Come out among them. Don't go. I mean, you ask them
to come. Somebody says, well, you think
you're too good to come by Him. No. I don't think I'm too good
for anything. There's none good. No, not one.
I'm not saying I'm too good. I'm just not going to listen
to somebody lie on God. That's just the way it is. I'm
not going to go. Here was Abraham dwelling in tabernacles with
Isaac and Jacob. He heirs of him of the same promise.
Oh, look at the disposition of Abraham's heart. Dwelling in
tabernacles. You know, obviously, according
to these Scriptures, the things of this world didn't draw him
away from God. Scripture says he dwelt in a
tent. He didn't go buy him a nice big
fortified castle. He just stayed in tabernacles,
trusting God, believing God for safety. It's not that God's people
don't possess things that are necessary for life in this world. But the thing is, they just don't
set their heart on it. Just the things and mess and
stuff is not their heart. Nothing takes the place of worship
of Almighty God. He just temporarily stays here. Colossians 3, 1 and 2, if you
then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection
on things above, not on things on the earth. Boy, we struggle
with that, don't we? And not to anybody that says
they don't. Psalm 62.10, if riches increase, set not your heart
on them. Well, I tell you what, riches
have really exposed a lot of things, haven't they? Money really
makes a lot. I mean, it brings out a whole
lot. You find out that somebody just come into a bunch of money,
just a bunch, and all of a sudden you'll... Not very many. Not very many.
That's where Abraham dwelt with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the
same promise. I know that salvation does not
flow through the blood of our parents. It's not by blood, not
by the will of man, not by the will of the flesh, but of God. But here the Lord was pleased
to show mercy to Abraham's sons. Gave him two boys, Isaac and
Jacob, all according to his will and purpose. Sojourned with them. Same promise. And then verse
10, and we'll close. For he looked for a city, Hebrews
11.10, which hath foundations. He was living in tents. Just
living off the land. Believing God. Resting in God. And I tell you this, you look
at the history of Abraham. Abraham, the Lord made... I was
a very wealthy man. Abraham had a lot of stuff. Abraham
had a lot of stuff. But his heart wasn't set on it.
The Scripture says he looked for a city better than what he
had. He knew this wasn't his world.
This is not my home. He looked for a city which had
foundations, one solid and sure. He looked for a place that was
built upon the foundation of Christ, upon God's Word, God's
promise, God's will, whose builder and maker is God. He knew that this world was a
vapor. He knew that he wouldn't be here
long. How many years? How many years?
Look back on your life right now. As I said before, I remember
just a very few years ago, I looked at all the other old preachers.
And now I'm trying to look around and most of the old preachers
are my age group, you know, and not very far, not very long. Three score and ten, I think.
Well, Abraham's heart was set upon
things above, not on things below. He knew according to God's promise
that his possession was not on this earth by the grace of God. And I just reiterate that. By
the grace of God. He was content to walk with a
loose hand toward this world. That's a miracle of God's grace.
I read of somebody the other day, and here he was. He was bedridden. He was bedridden
trying to meet with a financial advisor, trying to see where
he could reinvest while he was in a bed. I couldn't get up. Listen, let
me tell you something. As I said recently, do you know
how much we're going to leave when we leave this world? All
of it. What is it going to matter then? What difference does it make
what this world speaks of and allures with? You don't have to worship God.
It's not that important. Yes, it's that important. He
believed God, walked with God, and looked for a city. Give us
a city. Last verse. Revelation 21, 1
and 2. John said, I saw a new heaven. A new hearth, for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city,
here it is, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. This new city,
this heavenly city, this city that has foundations, God's city. It's His people. It's His people. Adorned, the
Scripture says, as a bride. Prepared for her husband in her
perfectly glorified state. Built upon a sure foundation. Christ the cornerstone. The rock
Himself. Oh, the wonder of God's grace
that Almighty God would give us a heart tonight to look around
and see this world as a fleeting thing, believing God, struggling
just like Abraham did, and hating every moment of our disobedience, and looking for a city That place
wherein dwelleth righteousness. Lord, I know these things are
so. Lord, I believe you. Help my
unbelief for Christ's sake. Amen.