By Faith Abraham

Q: What does the Bible say about Abraham's faith?

Abraham's faith is highlighted in Hebrews 11, where he obeyed God's call without knowing where it would lead him. In Hebrews 11:8-10, Abraham is commended for his faith when he obeyed God's call to leave his homeland for a place he had never seen. This act of faith exemplifies true belief in God's promises and showcases that faith is a gift from God, not an act of human will (Ephesians 2:8-9). Abraham's obedience came not from understanding or reasoning but from a supernatural work of God's grace. His faith is a model for all believers, showing that trust in God often requires stepping into the unknown, all for the purpose of glorifying Him.

Q: How do we know that salvation is a gift from God?

Salvation is demonstrated as a gift from God as Ephesian 2:8 states, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.' The doctrine of salvation as a gift from God is rooted in Ephesians 2:8, which articulates that it is solely by grace through faith, emphasizing that human efforts or decisions do not contribute to one’s salvation. This aligns with the broader Reformed understanding that faith itself is a divine gift, achieved through God’s sovereign grace and not merited by individual choice. Romans 8:29-30 further explains that those who are foreknown by God are predestined, called, justified, and glorified, highlighting the complete work of God in the salvation process. Recognizing salvation as a gift is crucial, as it directs all glory to God, maintaining His sovereignty in redemption.

Q: Why is the concept of being a pilgrim important for Christians?

Being a pilgrim is important for Christians as it reminds them that they are strangers in this world, seeking a heavenly city built by God. The concept of Christians as pilgrims signifies that they are not permanently tied to this earthly life but are journeying towards a heavenly inheritance. Hebrews 11:13 states that Abraham and others were 'strangers and pilgrims on the earth,' which implies that true believers recognize their temporary status in this world. This perspective encourages believers to live by faith, trusting in the promises of God while staying focused on their true home in heaven. It reinforces that their priorities should reflect eternal values rather than temporal satisfaction, shaping how they engage with the world around them.

Q: How do we know that faith is a supernatural act of God?

Faith is understood as a supernatural act of God since Ephesians 2:8 highlights that it is not of ourselves, but a work of divine grace. In the Reformed perspective, true saving faith is emphasized as a supernatural act inspired by God rather than a decision based on human will. Ephesians 2:8 reinforces that faith is a gift from God, demonstrating that no one arrives at faith without divine intervention. The Biblical examples, such as Abraham's call, illustrate that faith is initiated by God who communicates His truth and grace. Hebrews 11 elaborates on this by showing how the heroes of faith acted not on their own understanding but through the empowerment of God’s word. This understanding cultivates a deep reliance on God’s sovereignty in salvation, clearly illustrating that faith glorifies God alone.

Q: Why is God's glory central to the concept of faith?

God's glory is central to faith because true faith glorifies God, recognizing that all spiritual life is a result of His sovereign grace. The centrality of God's glory in the concept of faith is foundational in Reformed theology, where every act of faith is a manifestation of God’s grace. In Hebrews 11, the examples of faith serve a dual purpose: they highlight the believers' trust in God's promises while simultaneously glorifying His power and sovereignty. Everything done in faith ultimately aims to reflect God's glory, as stated throughout the scriptures. Recognizing that faith is a gift from God reaffirms that it is He who receives the praise and honor, setting believers free from the burden of merit-based religion and demonstrating the beauty of His grace in calling and sustaining His people.

Take all my sin away, O let me
from this day be wholly Thine. May Thy rich grace impart strength
to my paining heart, my zeal inspire. As Thou hast died for
me, O may my love to Thee Till warm and changeless be a living
God. Thank you. Alright, let's go back, or go
over to Hebrews 11. Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews 11. Let's read verse 8. Abraham, when he was called to
go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance,
obey. And he went out, not knowing
whether he went, not knowing where he was going. Now, this
whole 11th chapter of Hebrews is a commendation of faith. God
commends faith, and He uses these examples of several, many persons. He commends faith. Yet, faith
is not of ourselves, Ephesians 2.8 says. It's not of yourself,
it's a gift of God. Faith is according to the working
of His mighty power, Ephesians 1.19. True saving faith. We're talking
about true saving faith. Believing the true God. Believing
the truth. Believing and trusting God's
Son. That's a gift of God. That's
the work of God. It's not an act of the human will. It's not
a choice that man makes. But it's a supernatural work
of God Almighty. Because God must get the glory.
I'm going to emphasize that as long as I have breath. Because that's what this whole
thing is all about, God's glory. Those who truly desire God's
glory, they'll never tire of hearing that. And they know the
only reason they believe, the only reason they're interested
in God at all, is because of God's sovereign grace. It's a supernatural work of God
upon those whom God before the world began foreknew. predestinated, called, justified,
and glorified. That's not John Calvin's doctrine. That's Romans 8, 28 through 30. For whom he did foreknow, he
did predestinate. I'm reading. To be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
he called. God did to call him. And whom
he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. You've been glorified if you
have this faith. You've already been glorified.
You've seen the glory of God. The glory of God rests upon you.
That's right. Already. Already justified. That's the truth. Abraham, we're talking about
Abraham now, is known as the father of the faithful, isn't
he? That's what he's called in Romans
chapter 4, the father of those that believe, the father of the
faithful. He's an example of faith. It says, by faith, Abraham. Read
it again, verse 8. By faith, Abraham. When he was
called to go out into a place which
he should after receive for an inheritance, obey. By faith,
Abraham, when he was called, obeyed. Where was Abraham when God called
him? Let's go find out. Genesis 12. Genesis chapter 12. Was Abraham
seeking the Lord? Did Abraham know the God of the
Bible? No. He was an idolater. He wasn't a Jew. There was no
such thing as Jews yet. There was no law. There was no
Ten Commandments yet, 400 years later. What was Abraham? He was 75 years
old, living in a land called Terah with his father, and it
was an idolatrous land. Joshua says that in Joshua 24,
verse 2. He says he was worshiping other
gods, not the true and living God. Abraham was an idolater.
He didn't know the true and living God. He was 75 years old. I mean,
he's 75 years old. What can you teach a 75-year-old
man? Let's ask Charles Ross. You 75, Charles, yet? Might as
well be, you and Henry. You're over 70. Close enough. What can you teach a 75-year-old
man? After he's done something all
his life, he's believed something for 75 years. Are you going to
tell him differently? Worshipping other gods. Gods. Not the God, the true living
God. An idolater. Well, when did Abraham begin
to believe God? How did Abraham believe God?
Was he seeking the Lord? No. Chapter 12, verse 1, Now
the Lord had said, unto Abram. That was his name before God
changed it, Abram. Now, the Lord had said, that
means previous to this, the Lord had said, the Lord had spoken
unto Abraham, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred
and from thy father's house. Get out. unto a land that I will
show thee." Verse 4, So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken
unto him. You see that? God Almighty spoke
to him through the power of His Word. God Almighty came to Abram
somehow. We don't know how, but God spoke
to him and said, Get out. God called him to leave. God called him. And it's the
same way with you and I. If you're a believer, everyone
in here has been called by God's grace, by God's Word, everyone
in here, to go out, to leave, saying, God calls all of His
people just as He did Abraham. Now, the Lord had said, get out,
verse 2, He said, I will make thee a great nation, I will bless
thee and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing.
Verse 3, I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that
curse thee, in thee shall all families of the earth be bled. This is a picture of how God
blesses His people. His people are the blessed of
God. Blessed. Blessed of God. Now go back to
Hebrews 11. You can hold on to chapter 12,
perhaps, but back to Hebrews 11. And it's the same way with
you. If you have believed the true
God, if you have heard the truth, God Almighty at some time, at
some point, has spoken to you through His Word. He's come to
you powerfully and said, get out. That's the first thing God
says. Sin, self, the world, your religion. Abraham was religious. He was
already religious. He had other gods. He had other
faith that he believed. But God Almighty, the true and
living God, came to him and revealed the truth himself to him. And
what he told him to do now was get out. You've got to leave
your former religion. You've got to get out. Get out
of your kindred, your country, all of those idolaters. Leave.
You're going to a land, and I'm going to set up a people there
that worship the living and true God, in spirit and in truth. And you're the father of these
people. From my seed shall all these
people come. And the Lord God says the same
thing to everyone in here who's heard the gospel, everyone who's
heard the truth, God says, get out. Peter wrote, save yourselves
from this untoward generation. Get out. Paul wrote in Hebrews
13, we must go to him, separate his reproach, without the camp,
outside the camp of religion, though the whole world believes
one way, though all one denomination believes God is this, or God
is that. He says we go to Him without
the camp, outside the camp. Just as religion of old killed
the true Christ, killed the Christ, and they're looking for another
one. And they took His body outside
of Jerusalem. They didn't want His blood on
their hands. They took Him out of the camp,
didn't want Him anywhere inside of Jerusalem. Took Him out of
the camp to crucify Him. That's why Paul says we've got
to go to Him without the camp, because modern mainstream religion
doesn't believe the true Christ. It doesn't believe the truth. And you have to go without the
camp. You're going to have to be an off-scourer. You're going
to have to be hated for His namesake without the camp. You're going
to have to go somewhere and find the people that are worshiping
the true and living God, rejoicing in Christ alone, and have no
confidence in the flesh. And the whole world will hate
them, and they'll hate you too. But that's what you're going
to have to do. You have to leave your mama, who's believed one
way all her life. Your daddy, who's believed God's
this and God's that all his life, but he's wrong. He's an idolater.
You have to leave your country, your kindred. You have to leave
it all and go where the truth is. God calls people the same way
today. The same way. Get out. My dad, Abram, could
have said, but my dad's a fine man. Maybe he is. But he's a
moral man. As far as men go, maybe he is.
But he's not worshiping a true God. It's not sincerity that saves.
It's the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. So he was called to go out, it
seems. He was called to go out, verse
8, read it again with me. He was called to go out into
a place which he should after receive for an inheritance. He was going to an unseen place,
an unknown place. Go back to John 14 with me. John
chapter 14. Gospel of John chapter 14. The
Lord God called Abraham. The unseen God spoke to Abraham
to go to an unseen place. And God spoke to Abraham of the
unseen Christ. Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's
day. He saw it. Abraham believed Christ. It says, by faith Abraham. We
keep stressing this point about every person able. He believed
Christ. Didn't know his name was Jesus,
but he believed Him. Enoch walked with God by faith
in Christ. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Whose? Christ's. And now Abraham believed Christ. You know that? No man comes unto
God but by Christ. That's what the Christ said,
isn't it? What do you mean? How do you
know? Well, because Christ himself said so, didn't he? Christ himself
said that. He said, Abraham, rejoice to
see my day. He saw it, and he was so glad.
He believed me. That time he took Isaac up on
that mountain. And I'm going to preach that
later, so I'm not going to. But he saw Christ in that ram. that was killed in his son's
death. John chapter 14, but he was called to go to a place that
he had never seen before, an unknown, unseen place. And it's the same with all of
us. We've never seen God. We've never heard his audible
voice. Yet he's spoken to us through this book and called
us out. The apostles, the disciples,
were ordinary men and women like, well, yeah, disciples, they were
women. They were ordinary men and women
like you and I, like you and me, whom the Lord had chosen. Not one of those apostles would
have been following Christ had not he called them, right? I love that. I love those stories
of how Christ went walking by the sea and there were boatloads
of men out there fishing. But he said, Philip, Andrew,
follow me. Walked down a little. John, James,
follow me. Peter, Simon, follow me. Did they follow him? Why, yeah.
The word of a king is there's power. Thy people shall be willing
in the day of by power. Walked by receipt of customs.
Now there were tax collectors everywhere, publicans that is.
There was a fellow named Matthias, Matthew. Matthew, follow me. And he did. And so it was with
all of his disciples, every one of them. He called, found them
where they were and called them and they followed. So it is with
you. Every one of his people who are called by his grace,
called by his gospel, plain ordinary to believe Him, to follow Him.
And now, Christ was leaving the earth. This is the story here
in John 14. The Lord was leaving this earth.
They had been with Him for three years. They believed Him. They
knew Him. They knew who He was. They trusted
Him. This is the Christ. This is our
Lord and our Master and our Savior, our Provider, our King, our Everything. He's our life. They trust Him. They believe in Him. But He's
leaving the earth. And they don't have the understanding
you and I have at this point. He's leaving the earth. And they're
worried. They're troubled. He's a person
that they can handle. A person that they can hear.
He put His arm around them. They could feel His warm body.
They put their arms around Him. Somebody they could hug up to.
A real live person. They watched his miracles. They
saw him. They believed him. Now he's leaving. And they're
worried. They're troubled. They're troubled. The future now is unknown to
them. Although he'd been telling them.
The future's unknown. Verses 1 through 3, he says,
let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God? Now, they'd
never seen God, had they? None of these disciples had ever
seen God. But the only begotten had declared Him. Christ came
to declare the Father. He said, if you've seen me, you've
seen the Father. The words that I speak, I speak
not of myself, but it's the Father that's in me, he said. Now, they'd never seen God. They'd
never seen God. He said, you believe in God.
You do believe in God. Why? Why did they believe in
God? Because He gave them the faith.
This is God. He knows who believes in Him. The foundation of God, stand
assured, the Lord knoweth them that are His. Why? He called
them. He revealed Himself to them. Peter said, I know you are the
Christ, the Son of the living God. Our Lord said, flesh and
blood didn't reveal that to you, but my Father which is in heaven,
blessed are you. Oh, you've been blessed. You've
been chosen. You've been called. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God? Dan Ogle, you believe in God?
You get worried about the future? Man, we're flesh, aren't we? They were worried about the future.
They were troubled. He said, in my Father's house,
look at this, verse 2, in my Father's house were many mansions.
Now, no human being can preach on this. No human being, no preacher
has ever adequately described what God has done, what God has
prepared for them that love Him. That's what the Scripture says.
Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard. Neither have entered into
the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that
love him." And our Lord Himself says, in my Father's house are
many mansions. You know, we look at man's little
sandcastles that He builds. Man's little houses on the lake
and by the ocean and all that. You know, we're just amazed by
it. Our Lord, one time, the disciples
who were impressed with the temple, and Solomon's temple was marvelous. It's the most marvelous building
made by man up to that point. God designed it. Glorious building. And the disciples,
by the way, the disciples were taking our Lord a tour of the
temple. And they said, Lord, look at this. God's not impressed with man's
little sandcastles. In my father's house, just wait
till you see, are many mansions that some of our brethren right
now walk in the streets of gold. And I've made this statement
before. The reason the streets are gold. Why are the streets
gold? Pure gold it says. Whatever, 24 karat, whatever
that means. Pure gold. Why are the streets
gold? Because to show us that that
place is so glorious. That He is so glorious. That
Jesus Christ is so glorious. that we're not even going to
pay any attention to gold. We'll be walking on it. It'll
be common pavement. Do you stop and think about asphalt,
Brother Henry? We live on a gravel road. We
think about it. We do. We wish we had it. Y'all
take it for granted. I know you do. You city folks,
I guarantee you. You're not thankful for asphalt
like you should be. But the fact is, if we had it,
we'd take it for granted. You don't stop at gold, streets
of gold, pearly gates. We're all going to be looking
at the pearl at a great price. Him, who's altogether lovely,
who makes everything, gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, pale
in comparison to him. Everybody in glory is looking
at him. I hadn't seen him. In my Father's house are many
mansions. Look at verse 2. I love this.
If it were not so, I would have told you. Our Lord said heaven
and earth will pass away, but not one word of mine shall fail. It's impossible for him to lie.
Whatever he says is absolute truth. Live on it. You can die by it. Absolute truth,
though we haven't seen it or heard it, He has. That's where
it came from. If it were not so, I would have
told you. This is no grand illusion. This
is grand truth. I go, and He said, talking to
those weak disciples, talking to those ordinary fishermen,
talking to those everyday ordinary sinners just like you and me.
He said, I go to prepare a place for you. I'm glad he said you. I'm glad he didn't say Peter.
I'm going to prepare for Peter a place. I'm going to prepare
for Matthew a place. I'm going to prepare for Thomas
a place. You. Now, I'm reading this. I'm reading this and it says
to me, So is you, doesn't it? My heart's troubled by things
going on around me. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, and I do. Believe also in me. I go to prepare
a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you,
that means I've got to go to it, doesn't it? I've got to go
there. It's a place that I've got, an
inheritance that He's prepared for me. And I've got to go there. How?
I've got to leave this place. But I'm scared. Yeah. But when the time comes, you
won't be. I came to Charles Spurgeon one
time, and she said, Brother Spurgeon, I fear I don't have dying grace. I worry about dying. I said,
I don't want to leave here yet. I'm not ready. He said, well,
my dear lady, are you dying? She said, I don't think so. I'm
in pretty good health. He said, then you don't need
it yet, do you? Our Lord said, who cannot lie,
I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place,
I will come again and receive you. He's going to come for every
one of his own. However it is, whatever he uses
to take you and I, it's the Lord who's come for you. The Lord's
come for him. The Lord's come and got him and taken him home,
her home. Uh-huh. Where is she now? I can't describe it. With the
Lord. With the Lord. And I'll receive
you unto myself, he said. Where I am, where I am, that's where you'll be also.
I believe that's why the Lord wept at Lazarus' tomb. the thought of bringing him back
to this place. I really did. Perhaps the Lord
didn't do that. Perhaps the Lord didn't, that
is, didn't take him all the way to glory somehow. It had been,
oh, Brother Sam, he couldn't have lived here, could he? I
hadn't seen it here. He couldn't have stood it. This
is why the Lord was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
from his youth up. The Lord of glory who left the
throne of glory to come to live in a sewer hole called earth
that men are full of hate and wickedness. There's nothing but
peace and glory and happiness and righteousness and love to
come down here He was a man of sorrow, acquainted
with grief, miserable on this planet, yet in God's will, content. God's will, content. But he says
to every one of us, sons of Abraham, daughters of Abraham, I go to
prepare a place for you. Now, spiritually speaking, Christ
is that place. By faith, when the Lord calls
us to leave our home and our family and our children and our
religion and all that, if need be, leave family, to come to
Him, oh, I hadn't seen, the ear hadn't heard. Any of you leave a large religious
organization, what do you get in return? Huh? Would you go back? There's
a door. It's a free place. Go on back. Nancy, go on back to that big
Southern Baptist place. Would you go back? Why would you leave bondage for
this perfect... I was talking to one of our ladies
one day after a service. Nothing but peace and happiness.
The glory of God spoken of and Christ and a free gospel, full,
free, effectual, eternal gospel that just leaves you leaving
this place happy. It's not that way in religion.
She was in this bondage of legal religion, you know, where everybody
examines one another and the elders come to your house and
examine you and see if you've got this or got that or don't
have this. Just miserable all the time, you know. Just miserable
all the time. She and I were standing there
talking and I said, isn't the freedom that Christ gives us,
isn't it wonderful? The glorious liberty of the sons
of God. That's why Paul said, let no
man bother me. Paul said this, I don't care
what anybody thinks about me. The Lord accepts me. I'm accepted
in the beloved. Where am I? In my text. Hebrews 11. Go back there. Go back there. Hebrews 11. That the Lord is
as true as His Word. That's what He's trying to say
there, I was trying to say, that's what the Lord said. Mercy, peace, happiness, glory.
Well, we're going to have to leave this house, this tabernacle,
this body, this place. And when the time comes, you'll
be ready. And what are you leaving? Not
much. What do you get? A mansion. Glory. Majesty. Abraham, get out. Get out. Kenneth, follow me. Verse 9,
so he went out, verse 8, he went out not knowing where he was
going. But by faith, he went out. He believed God. And by faith,
it says in verse 9, he sojourned in the land of promise, as in
a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob,
heirs with him of the same promise." Are you listening? Everyone listen
carefully, especially you fathers and mothers, you parents, listen
carefully, okay? It says, "...he sojourned in
the land of promise as in a strange country." Then in verse 13 it
says, "...these were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." You
see that? Turn to chapter 13 with me. Chapter
13. Quickly, chapter 13. It's written in chapter 13, verse
14, here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. City. We're not going to stay
here. We're just not going to stay
here. Some have left early, teens,
twenties, thirties, forties. 50s, 60s, earlier. Earlier than
the three score and ten. I'm going to stay a little longer,
but we're not going to stay here. This is what Moses said, Oh,
that man were wise and would consider his latter end. Job
said, I know it's of a truth. Man goes to his long home from
which there's no return. Long home. We're strangers and
pilgrims here. We have here no continuing city.
We need to be ever mindful of the fact that we're just passing
through this place. Are you listening to me? We're
passing through. That gray hair on your head is
a reminder. It's an ending. It's about to
end. No continuing city. Now, we can
live our lives here. I keep saying this for our young
people's sake. You don't have to live in fear.
You don't have to live in worry. You can live your life. Live
your life. You can make your plans. Just
trust God. When the time comes, whether
He comes in person or takes you or whatever, He'll be wonderful. It will be wonderful. There won't
be a moment's regret or apprehension. Not one
moment, not one second. Twinkle an eye. How quickly. is your eyes blank. You just
did it without even thinking it. That's it. Well, you changed.
It's not going to be a moment's apprehension or fear. Not a moment's. So you can live your life, you
can make your plans. Always proceed them with this,
God willing, if the Lord will. As ecclesiastical as the whole
book is written, telling us Enjoy the things that God has
given you to enjoy, but just remember who gave them and worship
Him for them. Thank Him for them. Worship Him
first. Seek ye first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness. And all these things will be
up to you. Don't set your heart on them, though. They're fleeting.
They're temporal. It's a vapor. It's temporal. It won't give
you any satisfaction. That's what the whole book's
about, telling us there's no real satisfaction here. Enjoy
it, but don't try to get all your joy out of it, because you
can't keep it. That's why it closes Ecclesiastes
with saying, oh, that man would remember his Creator from his
youth. Chapter 12, remember now thy
Creator in the days of thy youth, because evil days will come You
want to hang on and can't. Now, that's an unbeliever, that
is. So make your plans, but always
keep in mind this is temporal. Now, hearing this right here this
morning, you hearing this keeps you mindful of that, doesn't
it? Doesn't it? Keeps me mindful of it. Here
we are sitting here together and I'm telling us, And I'm telling
me, from God's Word, that this life is a vapor. And that keeps us mindful. That
keeps our feet on the ground. That keeps us thinking on things
we shouldn't be. It says, Abraham dwelt in tents
with his children, Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the
same promise. Keeping ourselves under the sound
of the gospel always exhorts us. Every time you come, you
hear this gospel, it's an exhortation. Come out. Don't join with them. Come out. You understand? Every time we
hear the word, it's an exhortation. Don't fall asleep in enchanted
ground. Come out. Come away. Watch, it's a warning. Every
time we hear this word, it's a warning. Watch. The Son of Man cometh at the
time when you think not. Watch unto prayer. Be ready. If we don't do that, if we don't
keep unto the sound of this gospel, at every opportunity, we'll be
taken up with this word. We'll be listening to other voices. And we'll try to find whatever
we're looking for in this place, in a soap bubble, in people and
things. It says they dwelled in tents.
Abraham and his sons dwelled in tents. Now, we may have houses
with concrete foundations, but, now really, it's a tent. It's a tent. This body's a tent. You're not going to stay here.
It's not a permanent place. No matter how sure of the place,
it's not permanent. And he said he dwelt with Isaac
and Jacob, heirs with him. Abraham brought his boys to hear
the truth. He brought his son and his grandson,
Isaac and Jacob. They all dwelled in tents. Pilgrims. So are we. Believer? So are we. Passing through. Pilgrim means
you don't come to a place to stay forever. Passing through.
Strangers. Different than the people of
that country. Strangers. Passing through. With
his boys. These boys knew what Abraham
believed. Abraham had his sons under the
sound of the truth. They knew what was on Abraham's
mind. Did Abraham believe God? He sure did. Ask Isaac. How do you know your dad believed
God, Abraham? He took me up on a mountain one
day just at the word of God. I don't understand it. I do now. I didn't then. He was going to
kill me. Sacrifice me to his God. Did
he believe God? He sure did. Our children are watching us
more than they are listening to us. You know that? Lot's children didn't believe
him. He could say all he wanted to.
One day they finally did. And it's never too late, you
know, for a son of God to show his faith. Lot, one day, left
Sodom. He said to his daughters, Honey, to his two daughters, we're getting
out of here. God's going to destroy this place.
They believed Him then when His feet hit the pavement. Right? Our priorities tell our children.
Listen carefully, parents. I asked you to listen to me very
carefully. Our priorities tell our children what we really believe. Our priorities. If God, the worship
of God, is our priority, They'll know it. If this gospel is first,
they'll know it. If it's not, they'll know it. If God's people are truly our
love, our companions, we say, I'm a stranger and a pilgrim
with them that are strangers and pilgrims. I'm a companion
unto the fear of thee. They'll know it. If not, they'll know it. based on God's Word, if God Almighty,
the worship of God is our priority by His grace, if His gospel is
our life, if His people are our love, God will bless our children. We have His Word on it. Abraham
had a boy named Isaac, one son. The Lord revealed Himself to him. And a grandson named Jacob. One
of them wasn't so good was Esau. But one of them the Lord did
save. It said he looked for a city.
Verse 10, I quit with this. He looked for a city which had
foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Now let me reiterate
what I started this whole thing with. I'm not commending Abraham. I'm commending the glory and
the power and the grace of God Almighty in calling this man
who was an idolater seventy-five years. It's a miracle that this
man started walking with God, wasn't it? Just like Enoch. Just
like Noah. Miracle. So it is with you. A
miracle that you're sitting in here right now. A miracle. It'll be a miracle when you get
there. I'm glorifying and magnifying
the grace of God, and God is glorified by a human being taking
Him at His word. Faith glorifies God. God says,
you haven't seen me, you haven't heard me, you don't know where
you're going or when, but follow me. Faith says, okay. God says, have
your children understand this Gospel. Okay. Follow me. That glorifies God. It takes Him at His Word. It
takes Him at His Word. And He looked for a city. He
looked for a city. And over in chapter 12 it says,
we've come to Mount Zion, a heavenly Jerusalem, a city. That's why
we read that in Revelation 21. You know why we read that now?
He said, I beheld a city coming down out of heaven, which is
New Jerusalem, as a bride prepared for her husband. He looked for a city. And I asked
you before, some of you who left religion to come here, let me
ask you what you think about this, what we're doing here. Do you enjoy this? It's well known if you do or
not. You're here. Every opportunity. Do you enjoy
this fellowship with these people around this gospel, around this
Word, more than anything else? Huh? Do you look forward to it?
Is this what really, really does meet your need? Does it? Can
you say that in all honesty, from your heart? I love this
gospel. I love what I'm hearing. I love
these people. And by God's grace, at times,
most of the time, I don't want to leave here. I'm like Peter.
Let's just build three tabernacles and stay right here. Is that
you? You're looking for a city. You
must be looking for a city. And see, what this is, this is
like a little brown tent that the children of Israel hovered
around. That's what this little place
is here. This isn't going to stay here. They're looking for
a city, heavenly Jerusalem. It's coming down. All of us,
they're here right now, together, together, believe Christ, they're
going to worship together. Well, it's going to be wonderful. We haven't seen nothing yet. But take heart if these things
give you Pleasure, if what you're hearing, what you're doing right
now gives you pleasure. You must be a stranger in a pilgrim.
God must have called you out, just like Abraham, to go to a
place you haven't seen before. And there your children are.
I just kind of believe. Nancy, I just kind of believe.
If a lady and her husband has their sons and daughter in the
place of the house of God, I just kind of believe. If they really
believe, I just kind of believe God will bless them. Doesn't
have to. He's generally true to that promise. I have two brothers. One of them doesn't believe,
but I do. By God's grace, by a faithful
example, we can take him at his word,
crane him up in the way he should go, and he'll not depart from
it. OK, let's let's sing a closing
hymn. John, you got one picked out.

By Faith Abraham

What does the Bible say about Abraham's faith?

How do we know that salvation is a gift from God?

Why is the concept of being a pilgrim important for Christians?

How do we know that faith is a supernatural act of God?

Why is God's glory central to the concept of faith?

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By Faith Abraham

What does the Bible say about Abraham's faith?

How do we know that salvation is a gift from God?

Why is the concept of being a pilgrim important for Christians?

How do we know that faith is a supernatural act of God?

Why is God's glory central to the concept of faith?

Sermon Transcript

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